La Connaissance des Ophidiens dans le Bulega (Kivu, est du Zaire)

Abstract

The Lega in the Kivu Region, Eastern Zaire, have rich knowledge of the snake fauna. The snakes have social significance in their legends, folktales and proverbs, in which they incarnate a naughty and vagrant man, and are responsible for certain problems in the village. The Lega distinguish and classify the snakes empirically according to their body color, size, temperament and biotope in which they live. Larger snakes are eaten and the skin is sold. Snake bite is treated by some plant medicine, for which phytochemical analysis is being carried out.