Calangos e labigós: qual a percepção dos estudantes sobre a fauna de lagartos na região do Vale do Sambito, Piauí?

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to identify the perception of students in the Vale do Sambito region, in the state of Piauí, Brazil, regarding the lizard fauna that inhabits this area. Additionally, the study aimed to understand the students' prior knowledge, as well as to identify the doubts, curiosities, and myths surrounding these animals in the local popular imagination. To achieve these objectives, a methodological procedure was adopted consisting of the application of an electronic questionnaire composed of six questions, answered by 166 students from the public school system, belonging to various cities in the region, addressing the diversity of the lizard fauna present in the place where they reside. The work also emphasized the importance of environmental education in schools, highlighting the need to understand the relationships established between the studied population and these animals, using the concepts of ethnozoology. Thus, cultural and popular knowledge was valued as a tool to solve doubts and promote learning. The research results revealed that students have excellent prior knowledge about the region's lizard fauna, recognizing popular names and evidencing a strong relationship between humans and animals in the regional culture, which can contribute significantly to the development of preservation strategies and awareness of the importance of these animals for local biodiversity.