Conhecimento, percepção e educação ambiental sobre as serpentes nativas do cerrado em uma região sul do estado piauíense

Abstract

Snakes are animals that belong to the group of vertebrates and play important roles in nature, whether in biological control and/or for medical research. The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge among the population of a microregion in the southern state of Piauí regarding the native snakes of the region, their ecological services, and conservation. In addition, an environmental education initiative was carried out to promote the conservation and preservation of native snakes in the Cerrado biome through a booklet. The target audience consisted of residents of Uruçuí (the study area) and some surrounding cities. This audience was chosen because the knowledge and importance of the subject are highly limited to the region. A total of eighty people were interviewed online through an electronic form. The results indicate that people recognize the importance of snakes in the environment, but not everyone contributes to their preservation. Therefore, it is necessary to promote environmental education for the conservation of Cerrado snakes and to draw scientific inferences regarding society's limited knowledge of this topic