USE OF FAUNA IN HOMEGARDENS AND FOREST IN TWO MAYAN COMMUNITIES OF YUCATAN, MEXICO

Abstract

Background. Human societies have always depended on animals to satisfy different needs such as food, shelter, company, medicine, religion, among others. In Mayan rural areas, at present, the use of fauna is daily, so it is necessary to evaluate the relationships established between them and it is necessary to recognize the value of importance that animals have. Objective. To characterize the use of animals in the homegardens and forest of Mayan communities of Sahcabá and Sanahcat in Yucatan. Qualitative tools such as: interviews, participant observation and questionnaire were used. Results: Twenty-eight animal species were mentioned as useful: 11 in homegardens and 18 in forest; divided into mammals (7 in homegardens, 10 in forest), birds (4 in homegardens, 3 in forest), reptiles (3 in forest) e insect (1 in forest). Chicken, in homegardens, and the deer, in forest, had the highest use value (SUT = 0.86 and 0.84, respectively). Animals are economically important to families and provide them with food. Five species of fauna in homegardens and 2 in forest ones were mentioned with medicinal use for the treatment of 13 different diseases. Hunting, in growing areas and in the dry season, was the main means of obtaining animal biomass, with 15 species of wild fauna hunted for food. Implications: The results contribute to understanding the importance of wild and domestic fauna in the culture, food, and economy of rural families, as well as the role that families play in their conservation. Conclusions: The knowledge and use of fauna in homegardens and forest satisfy economic, nutritional, medicinal, and cultural (stories and legends) needs in the studied communities. Although this knowledge is still valid, losses of it are identified in the population of young people and children.

Keywords

• cacería
• etnozoología
• economía
• alimentación
• manejo.