Abstract

ETHNOZOOLOGICAL PRACTICES OF ARTHROPOD ANIMALS BY TRIBES AND RURALS OF CHHINDWARA DISTRICT OF MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA

Bagde Neelima* and Jain Shampa

ABSTRACT

Arthropods are found in everywhere. This phylum is big in animal kingdom. Ethnozoological study was carried out from July 2015 to January 2016 in tribal dominant tahsils mostly Tamia, junnardeo, Amarwara and Harrai of Chhindwara district. A survey of arthropods used in traditional medicine was carried out among the people of Chhindwara district to examine the importance of arthropods and their by products in life and economy of the people and to provide a compendium of the traditional use of arthropods and their byproducts for future references. Data were collected using semi-structured, personal interview, questionnaires and group discussion. Informants were herbalists, farmers and healers they use animals for traditional purposes. Twenty four different species of arthropods are used in the curing of 54 ailments such as eye defects, various sicknesses in children, arthritis, bedwetting, mental illness, child delivery, fever, healing of wounds, leprosy, fit, asthma, cough, pneumonia etc. Few species are used in socio-religious, weather forecast, magico-religious, agriculture, etc. Some food insects may be included in the local diet throughout the year, others only when seasonally available. The results suggest that more research should be done in this area to bring back the ethnozoological knowledge of vanishing culture.

Keywords: Ethnozoology, Rural, Arthropods, Zootherapy, Culture.