Public attitude towards amphibian and reptiles in district Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan
Public attitude towards amphibian and reptiles in district Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan
Public attitude towards amphibian and reptiles in district Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan
Waqas Ali, Arshad Javid, Ali Hussain, Syed Mohsin Bukhari
ABSTRACT
Present survey extending from October, 2015 through March, 2016 was planned to
document public perceptions towards amphibians and reptiles in district Kasur,
Pakistan. A total of 200 respondents, 50 from each tehsil were interviewed from all
the four tehsils namely Pattoki, Chunnian, Kot Radha Kishan and Kasur. The
people of the study area used to prepare traditional medicines from body parts of
Bungarus caeruleus, Naja naja, Ptyas mucosus, Eryx johnii, Varanus bengalensis
and Uromastyx hardwickii. Out of 200 respondents, more than 80% considered
amphibians and reptiles as useless animals, 71% as symbol of bad omen, 73%
believed that herpetiles are used in traditional medicine and 3% considered that
they are also used as food. Different superstitions are also linked with amphibians
and reptiles and this mindset lead to unnecessary killing of species. Among all the
herpetiles, snakes are most disliked taxa and killed by the locales. Conservation
education and awareness campaigns are recommended to avoid unnecessary
killing of the amphibians and reptiles of the study area.
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