La importancia de conservar a las serpientes en Papantla, Veracruz

Abstract

The region of Papantla, Veracruz has a notable diversity of snakes that were important in the ancient cosmogony of the native peoples. The respect, valuation and appreciation of these living beings has been lost over the centuries due to the events of the spanish conquest, urbanization and globalization. In addition to this, and without leaving aside the conflict that exists between humans and snakes due to damage to health, religion, myths, legends, personal experiences, news sources and cinema, among other factors, have also caused negative interactions of aversion, magnifying unnecessary fears, and creating phobias towards these valuable creatures even when most do not represent any risk. The content of this work offers informed knowledge with some reflections aimed at the local population about the environmental and cultural importance of these species. In this work, a small selection of 7 species of snakes of cultural, medical, aesthetic and ecological interest that are known in the region are presented in infographic format for dissemination. With this, the aim is to influence people to promote their conservation, coexistence and eliminate negative perceptions towards them, promoting sustainability actions, mainly in the field and rural regions.