Ethnoecology, Resource Use, Conservation And Development In A ...

that the take had diminished rapidly over recent years, a result of an apparent decline
in population. Such has been his concern over this situation that he has in some
recent years cancelled the hunting trip for fear of completely extirpating the local
population.
The low frequency at which other animal foods were mentioned presumably
reflects relatively low overall importance in the local diet, although some may be
seasonally important and particular individuals or families may specialise to some
extent in the exploitation of food sources that are not widely used in the general
population. The category 'turtle eggs' in the interviews includes those of Geocheleone
as well as of some of the aquatic species, although this was not specified in the
interviews. Another species of reptile whose eggs are popularly consumed is the
iguana (Iguana iguana). The main nesting areas for this species in sandbanks on the
Kwitaro and other major waterways are well known; during its nesting season in
September and October these sites may be visited, nests located and the eggs dug
out. Some people practice regulation of the egg harvest, leaving a small number of
eggs undisturbed in any nest they raid. I have also observed nesting females being
released when caught as their nest was dug out, in order to ensure a harvest of eggs
in subsequent years. These practices are not universal, and adult iguanas are also
hunted outside the breeding season for food. Some informants suggest that
overexploitation of both eggs and adults has caused the virtual extirpation of iguanas
from the vicinity of settlements. Although not mentioned in the interviews, the eggs
of wild birds are occasionally eaten. In particular, maams (several species of Tinamus
and Crypterellus) may be flushed from their nests at the base of trees by people
roaming in the forest off the trails. In such cases, it is believed that the parents will
never return to the nest, and the eggs are inevitably collected.
Invertebrate foods are also gathered on occasion: both snails and crabs were
mentioned in household interviews, but only by a small number of respondents. Two
of the three segregates distinguished among the crustacea are considered edible, and
are actively sought in the banks and beds of creek, particularly by women. They may
also be inadvertently caught on fishing lines. Some other invertebrate foods were not
mentioned in household interviews but were observed to be eaten during the course
of the study. Palm grubs are cultivated in a variety of species, including Mauritia
flexuosa, Oenocarpus bataua and O. bacaba, trees of which are felled and a pair of
holes bored in the trunk to allow entry of the 'father'. This practice appears to be
quite rare, and a successful operation was not observed over the course of the study,
although a small number of discarded trunks was seen. Several species of caterpillar