BACKGROUND The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley is a region of outstanding biocultural diversity, harboring eight indigenous ethnic groups and a remarkable biodiversity in a territory 10,000 km2 extent. Ethnobotanical studies of the region are among the most complete in Mexico; contrarily, ethnozoological studies are still limited. But information on both flora and fauna use and management is relevant for understanding local cultural and ecological issues, and for planning integral strategies of biodiversity conservation. Our study focused on analyzing knowledge and use of animals and their relationship with faunistic management by the Cuicatec, an ancient human culture whose distribution is restricted to the region. We hypothesized that wild animals still have significant contributions to diet, medicine, and spiritual life of the Cuicatec people. In addition, we expected to find a gradient of interactions, from simple gathering and hunting to communitarian regulations of use, specialized management techniques and care, nurturing, and domestication of animals. Such gradient of management interactions would be influenced proportionally with cultural and economic values, viability maintenance, and scarcity of animals. METHODS Our study was carried out in San Lorenzo Pápalo, Oaxaca. We conducted surveys and semi-structured and open interviews to people to document the Cuicatec nomenclature, classification, use, and management of fauna, as well as their perceptions about abundance, risks of disappearance, and availability of wild animals. We used images of animal species reported for the area as communication stimuli for confirming their local presence. Also, we recorded skins and skulls used as trophies and ornamental objects, pawprints, and excretes. Through free listing, we identified the most meaningful species of different animal groups. Whenever possible, we evaluated amounts of animals obtained from the wild, and for some species, we compared this information with data on their distribution and abundance evaluated through ecological sampling, to explore indicators on their sustainable use. RESULTS The Cuicatec name all animals through the term i-ti and classify them in several groups of vertebrates, arthropods, and mollusks, some of them coinciding with the formal taxonomy and some others based on their social-cultural role. The most meaningful animals are 23 species of edible organisms, outstandingly the chicatana ants (Atta mexicana) and the cuetla Lepidoptera larvae (Arsenura armida), the lizard Sceloporus grammicus, and among the mammals some squirrels (Sciurus spp.), badgers (Nasua narica), and deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Some species were reported to be used for medicinal purposes, among them opossum (Didelphis spp.) and macaws (Ara militaris), used to ease childbirths, but this use almost disappeared. Local perception of availability of animal resources is associated to forest conservation. Regulations for protecting forests and the most used animal species were recorded; the rules are mainly associated to hunting and gathering seasons, respecting females of vertebrate species, and permits for gathering and hunting given by local authorities. Nurturing of animals was recorded in bird and mammal species, but in no case, their breeding was achieved. CONCLUSIONS Animals are important elements of the Cuicatec culture and subsistence, complementing their diet based on agricultural products. Animals used as medicine were still reported but substituted by modern medicine. There is a consensus about the need to conserve forests to ensure the maintenance of animals, which are valued as part of nature, the beauty of their territory, and culture. Communitarian regulations are the main ways for conserving fauna, but local techniques of animal management may help in designing conservation strategies.

中文翻译：

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Cuicatec的人类学：墨西哥瓦哈卡州San LorenzoPápalo人们对动物的传统知识，使用和管理。

背景技术Tehuacán-Cuicatlán山谷是一个生物文化多样性卓越的地区，在10,000 km2的范围内拥有八个土著民族和非凡的生物多样性。该地区的民族植物学研究是墨西哥最全面的研究之一。相反，民族学研究仍然有限。但是有关动植物使用和管理的信息对于理解当地的文化和生态问题，以及规划生物多样性保护的整体战略都具有重要意义。我们的研究重点是分析Cuicatec（一种古老的人类文化，其分布范围仅限于该地区）对动物的知识和使用及其与动物主义管理的关系。我们假设野生动物仍然对Cuicatec人的饮食，药物和精神生活做出重大贡献。此外，我们希望发现互动的梯度，从简单的采集和狩猎到共同体的使用规定，专门的管理技术和护理，动物的养育和驯化。管理互动的这种梯度将与文化和经济价值，生存能力的维持以及动物的稀缺性成比例地受到影响。方法我们的研究是在瓦哈卡州圣洛伦佐·帕帕洛（San LorenzoPápalo）进行的。我们对人们进行了调查，半结构化和开放式访谈，以记录Cuicatec命名法，动物的分类，使用和管理，以及他们对丰富，消失的风险和野生动物的可获得性的看法。我们使用该地区报道的动物物种的图像作为交流刺激，以确认它们在当地的存在。也，我们记录了用作奖杯和装饰物，脚印和排泄物的皮肤和头骨。通过免费上市，我们确定了不同动物群中最有意义的物种。我们尽可能评估了从野外获得的动物数量，对于某些物种，我们将该信息与通过生态采样评估的分布和丰度数据进行了比较，以探索其可持续利用的指标。结果Cuicatec用术语i-ti为所有动物命名，并将它们分为几类脊椎动物，节肢动物和软体动物，其​​中一些与正式的分类法相吻合，而另一些则基于它们的社会文化角色。最有意义的动物是23种可食用生物，其中奇卡塔纳蚂蚁（Atta mexicana）和鳞翅目鳞翅目幼虫（Arsenura armida），蜥蜴Sceloporus grammicus，以及哺乳动物中的一些松鼠（Sciurus spp。），badge（Nasua narica）和鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）。据报道，有些物种可用于医疗目的，其中包括负鼠（Didelphis spp。）和金刚鹦鹉（Ara militaris）用于缓解分娩，但这种用途几乎消失了。当地对动物资源可用性的认识与森林保护有关。记录了保护森林和最常用动物物种的法规；该规则主要与狩猎和采集季节有关，尊重脊椎动物的雌性，并获得地方当局的采集和狩猎许可。在鸟类和哺乳动物物种中记录了对动物的哺育，但在任何情况下都没有实现它们的繁殖。结论动物是Cuicatec文化和生存的重要元素，以农产品为基础补充了饮食。仍然有动物被用作药物，但已被现代医学取代。对于保护森林以确保动物的养护已达成共识，动物被视为自然，其领土之美和文化的一部分。社区法规是保护动物的主要方式，但是当地的动物管理技术可能有助于设计保护策略。他们的领土和文化之美。社区法规是保护动物的主要方式，但是当地的动物管理技术可能有助于设计保护策略。他们的领土和文化之美。社区法规是保护动物的主要方式，但是当地的动物管理技术可能有助于设计保护策略。