Zootherapeutic uses of animals and their parts: An important element of the traditional knowledge of the Safi province, Morocco

The Moroccan population harbors rich traditional knowledge used to treat various human diseases. This is the first study aimed at exploring the ethnozoological practices in Morocco. <i>Materials and methods</i>: Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires to interview 42 traditional healers and merchants of medicinal animals. Collected ethnozoological data were analyzed using appropriate quantitative indices. <i>Results</i>: 42 animal species belonging to eight taxonomic groups were gathered, with Mammalia being the most mentioned (15 species), followed by Aves (12 species). <i>Camelus</i> sp. (RFC = 0.81), and <i>Sepia officinalis</i> (RFC = 0.71), had the highest RFC. With 8.00 units, <i>Atelerix algirus</i> was the species with the highest level of therapeutic redundancy. The most important diseases cited were circulatory system disorders (ICF = 1.00), oncology (ICF = 1.00), oro-dental problems (ICF = 0.86), and nervous system disorders (ICF = 0.86). The following animal species gained an FL value of 100 %: <i>Anas platyrhynchos domesticus</i> (for skin diseases), <i>Coturnix coturnix</i> (for endocrine disorders), <i>Mustela nivalis</i> (for gastrointestinal disorders), <i>Cymothoa exigua</i> (for nervous system disorders), and <i>Upupa epops</i> (for culture-bound diseases). The most versatile species were <i>Apis</i> sp. (RI = 100 %) and <i>Aterix algirus</i> (RI = 88.89 %). The most culturally important species included <i>Chamaeleo chamaeleon</i> (CII = 57.14) and <i>Atelerix algirus</i> (CII = 40.48). According to the IAR value, <i>Cymothoa exigua</i> (nervous system disorders) and <i>Upupa epops</i> (IAR = 1.00) had the highest scores. The highest CAI value was for <i>Chamaeleo chamaeleon</i> (CAI = 48.98). <i>Conclusion</i>: The local population of the Safi region possesses valuable knowledge about the use of medicinal animals to treat a plethora of health concerns. <i>Atelerix algirus</i> and <i>Chamaeleo chamaeleon</i> were the most versatile species and were indicated as ideals for being cultural keystone species. They must be prioritized in future research and conservation studies.