INVESTIGADORES
LADIO Ana Haydee
artículos
Título:
The southern river otter (Lontra provocax): insights from the perspective of Andean Patagonian ethnozoology
Autor/es:
POZZI, CARLA; H. LADIO, ANA
Revista:
Ethnobiology and Conservation
Editorial:
Ethnobiology and Conservation
Referencias:
Lugar: Recife; Año: 2021 vol. 10
Resumen:
Animals play a significant role in many cultures around the world. The southern river otter Lontraprovocax (known locally as the ?huillín?) is endemic to southern Argentina and Chile, and is currentlyin danger of extinction. Mapuche communities have always lived closely alongside their animal resources,generating unique bonds with them. The objective of this work is to obtain an overview of the importancegiven to this species in the literature of the region with regard to the nature-culture connection.A systematic bibliographical review was carried out using reference libraries and web browsers. Fromall the sources analysed, 110 were selected which held biocultural information. The main approach usedwas ecological; however, the ethnohistorical texts provided the richest information on the bond betweenthis otter and humans. The Mapuche name ?huillín? appears in all the publications analysed, showingits continuity over time. Of all the zootoponyms found, 87.5% were Chilean and 12.5% were Argentine.The Argentine case is found in Nahuel Huapi lake, and is worthy of note as its name could involve thehuillín. The results of this work increase our knowledge of the biocultural heritage of our region, andenable us to reflect on the associated historical and political processes.