Naming Nature: Exploring the Flexibility of Ethnoclassifications of Mammals in Guinea-Bissau

Naming non-human beings enables humans to relate to and establish relationships with different organisms, and is a way of classifying the world around them. Understanding how different groups of people carry out ethnoclassifications of non-human animals is important for establishing a dialogue between local people and external groups engaged in the study of biodiversity and conservation that integrates local ecological knowledge. In this article, we first conducted a review of literature in English, French and Portuguese to examine the names and classifications of fauna and identified a lack of information on African ethnozoological classifications. We conducted an exploratory survey to assess which species of mammals were known to the local population of Fula people (also known as Fulani, Fulbe, Peul or Pulaar in other countries) in Dulombi and Cantanhez National Parks, Guinea-Bissau. We employed checklist interviews using photo elicitation to determine the local names and classifications of mammals. We found that ethnoclassifications are more complex than the categorisations that can be inferred from the names given to wildlife, and are also based on morphological, behavioural and ecological aspects resulting from human experience and practice, evidenced by geographical differences. Knowledge of local peoples’ ethnoclassifications is an important tool between different stakeholders for species conservation in shared landscapes. As conservation increasingly values community involvement, aligning conservation efforts with local perceptions of nature is essential for effective and sustainable outcomes.