A first checklist of native names and ethnozoological notes of snakes (Squamata: Serpentes) from Kichwa and Shiwiar territories at the Amazonian Ecuador

Traditional knowledge, much like scientific knowledge, is the product of observation and reflection from the relationship between people and their habitat. This paper documents the first inventory of native names and ethnozoological information of snakes in the language of the Shiwiar-Chicham (SC) and Kichwa (KW), for those territories located in the Pastaza and Napo basins, Amazonia of Ecuador. Additionally, we analyzed the diversity of native names with the Shannon-Wiener index (D). A total of 50 snake species are inventoried, where 36 species (80%) and 49 (100%) snakes possessed a name in the SC and KW languages, respectively. The KW language (D = 4.02) presented a greater diversity of names assigned to snakes, in comparison to the SC language (D = 3.04). The great cultural and linguistic diversity demonstrates that there is still a need to document and safeguard the ethnozoological knowledge related to snakes in the Amazon.

Automated summary

This paper presents the first inventory of native names and ethnozoological information for snakes in the Shiwiar-Chicham and Kichwa languages in the Amazon region of Ecuador. A total of 50 snake species were documented, with 80% and 100% of them having names in the SC and KW languages respectively. The KW language exhibited greater diversity in snake names compared to the SC language. The study highlights the need to document and protect the ethnological knowledge of snakes in the Amazon.