Abstract

VALLE-MARQUINA, Raúl et al. Hunting in a peasant community of the Sierra de Huautia, Morelos, Mexico. Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2022, vol.27, n.2, pp.208-222.  Epub May 29, 2024. ISSN 0120-548X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/abc.v27n2.91197.

The Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve is a biodiversity reservoir in the Mexican dry tropics. The peasant communities historically inhabiting it have been used its natural resources for their subsistence, including wildlife. In order to characterize the hunting practices in the community of Pitzotlán, Morelos, interviews were applied to ten local farmers, as well as participant observation, guided tours and hunting recording for seven months. 37 species of fauna with use values were registered, most of them for food (57 %), to reduce agricultural damage (49 %) and to use in traditional medicine (27 %). From September 2018 to March 2019, the capture of 70 individuals belonging to 17 species was counted in 41 hunting events. The species with the highest percentage of captured individuals were iguana negra Ctenosaura pectinata (19 %), huilota Zenaida spp. (19 %), tejon Nasua narica (14 %), Odocoileus virginianus (10 %) and tortola Columbina inca (9 %). It was estimated that 278.93 kg of biomass were consumed, 80 % was contributed by the white-tailed deer. The hunting was carried out within a 3.5 km ratio from the community environment, through "spied on", "herded", "cornered" and, "lampareadas", with the use of dogs and in opportunistic events. Hunting is a complementary activity in the subsistence strategies of the studied community, whose cultural roots allow obtaining material goods, recreation and socialization.

Keywords : Ethnozoology; wildlife; management; traditional uses.

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