Utilização da fauna na medicina popular em duas comunidades tradicionais do Rio Grande do Norte / Brasil.

Abstract

The use of animals in folk medicine, the zootherapy in traditional communities is a reality throughout the Brazilian territory. This study aimed to inventory species used as medicinal use, in two traditional communities in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, called the Negros do Riacho, remnant community of Maroons located in the city of Currais Novos / RN and traditional community Catole dos Mendonça, located in the city of Tangara / RN. Both communities are inserted in Caatinga, characteristic of the Brazilian northeast. The study was based on visits to both communities and conducting 20 interviews with their respective residents between men and women. Data were analyzed by calculating the value of use of the species mentioned. Thus, we cataloged 16 species of animals with medicinal usefulness, of which 20 were related to diseases, the most cited of these are related to the respiratory tract. All animals listed have been cited in the literature ethnozoology from other states of Brazil, particularly in the Northeast, so it is not possible to catalog no new species. Studies zootherapy ethnozoology and make-up needed to understand our cultural diversity and the interaction of man with nature and to be used as base conservation analysis.