Title: The importance of understanding local legends to conserve wildlife: freshwater turtles of the Amazon

Authors: Camila R. Ferrara; Larissa Schneider; Richard C. Vogt

Addresses: Wildlife Conservation Society - WCS Brazil, R. Costa Azevedo 9, sala 403 – Ed. Rio Madeira, Centro, CEP 69010-230, Brazil ' School of Culture, History and Language, Australian National University, Acton 2601, Canberra, Australia ' Coordenação de Biologia de Água Doce, INPA – Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Aleixo, CEP 69060-001, Manaus – AM, Brazil

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to reveal for the first time some of the legends that have been told about turtles from generation to generation in the quilombola communities in the Rio Trombetas. From these simple stories the locals demonstrate their knowledge of the biology of turtles and their supernatural belief in them. These legends represent different aspects of turtle conservation, including the need to limit the poaching of females, sustaining a steady turtle population. Through the perpetration of these legends, the importance to conserve turtles is maintained between the quilombola communities.

Keywords: turtles; Amazon; Trombetas River; legends; podocnemis; Amazonia; culture; conservation; quilombola; Brazil; South America; tropical forest; Amazon Forest; chelonian.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2021.118137

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2021 Vol.13 No.3, pp.173 - 181

Received: 03 Jun 2020
Accepted: 29 Aug 2020
Published online: 13 Oct 2021 *

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