The game fauna is a valuable resource for rural populations in several countries, in which the forms of use and the number of animals captured vary between populations, with numerous records in the literature of the various uses attributed to animals. In this study, birds had the highest taxonomic representation, followed by mammals and reptiles, the same result was found by Barbosa and Aguiar [6] and Santos et al. [9] in studies conducted in rural communities in the semi-arid region of Paraíba. Birds are most cited due to their greater abundance and diversity in the semiarid region compared to other vertebrate groups. The use of birds in animal trafficking or as pets also provides a greater number of interactions for this group [9, 29].

In a study with an Indigenous population in the northeast region, a greater preference for the consumption of poultry meat was found [30]. On the other hand, some authors point to a greater preference for mammals [31,32,33]. The most culturally important groups are mammals, birds and reptiles, and the use values ​​assigned to each of these groups depend on the objectives of the work developed and the type of interaction. It is worth mentioning that most publications on hunting are focused on interactions with mammals, which makes it difficult to compare the effect of hunting between taxonomic groups [34, 35].

Regarding the distribution of species in the categories of use, the results found are in accordance with the indicated in the literature. In this study, six categories of uses were identified, in which birds and mammals are most used as food; mammals and reptiles are more present in medicinal use; the avifauna is representative in the pet and trade categories and reptiles are the most slaughtered animals for control. The category of food use had the highest number of species cited, which corroborates other studies [9, 32, 36].

The preference for using mammals and birds as a food resource is a known pattern [2, 31]. It is assumed that mammals are preferable because of their greater body mass, resulting in a greater energy return, and birds due to species richness. Ethnobiological studies have pointed out the preference of hunters for large species following the logic of the Theory of Optimal Foraging, in which the energy gain is greater than the expenditure, at this point, variables such as body size and species abundance are present. As variables related to hunting [37, 38].

In the study developed by [24], for example, it was found that the preferred species are large animals, which have a good taste of meat and live in flocks, which makes hunting more productive. In another study that analyzed the relationship between the value in use and the biomass of mammals, it was found that the biomass did not influence the current use value of the mammals. In the Brazilian semiarid region, it is pointed out that there is no significant preference for large animals, since populations have developed strategies to take advantage of medium and small-sized species [8].

Still regarding mammals, Chaves et al. [20] analyzed the cost–benefit relationship, perceived abundance and taste preference, the results confirmed the predilections for large animals; also pointed out that more abundant species are ten times more likely to be hunted than rare species, and the preference for flavor increases the chances of a species being killed by 109%. Regarding wild birds, the preference for flavor is related to those species with a flavor close to chicken meat [2].

Based on the results of other ethnobiological studies, it was expected that vertebrate species would be widely used in the treatment of diseases, given that it is a widespread practice in Brazil, including in the Northeast region. The species cited as zootherapeutic in this study corroborate other results, since there are records of the use of animals in their entirety or fat for the treatment of diseases related to the respiratory and musculoskeletal system, especially swelling and inflammation [39, 40].

Although the highest number of citations for mammals is recurrent, reptiles have higher use values ​​in the zootherapy category [32]. In the semiarid region, the use of body fat from S. merianae, B. constrictor and I. iguana species cited in ethnozoological studies are generally used in more than one use category and when used for treatment they are indicated for more than one condition, recording up to 92 diseases or conditions in which animals are applied (whole or in parts), the main related conditions in the semiarid are wounds, rheumatism, thorn removal, earaches and sore throats [39, 41].

The avifauna is the group of vertebrates most involved with the trafficking of animals, being kept in captivity for their own consumption or commercialization. Birds of the Thraupidae and Icteridae families are used as pets due to their attractive colors, beautiful and pleasant song, the species of the Thraupidae family are the most illegally traded, while the Columbidae and Tinamidae families are preferred as a food resource because they have greater body mass [10].

The factors that favor the illegal trade of wild birds are availability, easy maintenance in captivity and ease of capture. Motivations such as entertainment and increased income are identified as influencers for the sale of birds. The value of birds depends on factors associated with the rarity or abundance of the species, the attractiveness of the song, the beauty of the plumage and companionship. Prices vary between species, studies indicate a variation from R$ 6.89 to R$ 1969.33 [42, 43].

Among mammals, the literature points out that the most commercialized species in the Caatinga biome are the giant armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) and giant armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus), the sale usually occurs on a local scale, in which hunting is offered by hunters in the region or ordered by middlemen; the main motivation is the appreciation for the flavor of the meat [9].

Conflicting interactions between humans and non-human animals directly impact the fauna. It was found that the main target animals are carnivorous mammals, grassy birds and reptiles that are slaughtered for reasons related to appearance, fear and aversion. These results agree with what is pointed out in other ethnobiological studies. Conflicts arise when wild animals negatively impact human goals or when human goals interfere with wildlife needs [44].

The context of these conflicting relationships is different from hunting because the hunter aims at a product (e.g. meat, trophies, sports, medicines, etc.) for utilitarian purposes. In the slaughter of the animal due to the conflict relationship, the only objective is to eradicate the animal involved, being directed to predators in response to damage they cause to domestic animals, crops or for representing danger to people. In a review study it was found that the main mammal families involved in conflict in the world are Felidae, Canidae and Ursidae; among birds, hawks, hawks and vultures are protagonists; and snakes are the main representatives among reptiles [44, 45].

The aversions that lead to attitudes of persecution are related to characteristics of both the ecology and biology of animals and symbolic constructions of human culture. Some birds are persecuted because they emit sounds that are interpreted as creatures that bring bad luck, as an example of the shroud rips (Tyto frucata); the ability of the species to provoke feelings of disgust, repudiation and fear intensifies conflicts, and it is necessary to interpret these relationships and point out positive measures to mediate these interactions and promote the conservation of the species [16].

Subsistence hunting is widely documented, however, cases where the main motivation is leisure are portrayed [8]. In this study, hunters stated that the main reason for making use of an animal is taste, followed by ease of sale and abundance. The perspective around flavor has already been mentioned above, being a variable related to hunting, since the abundance of the species increases the chances of finding the resource and the energy returns [2, 3, 8, 20, 33].

Regarding the hunting methods and techniques mentioned in this study, other researchers had already described them. Hunting is started as a child, with the use of a slingshot and as experience is gained, the use of a shotgun and dogs is used, as methods that make hunting activity more efficient. Active techniques, in which the hunter actively moves behind the prey, represents a greater impact on the fauna, however, the use of passive techniques (traps) is preferable to capture small animals. The shotgun is the most cited instrument in hunting studies, being used both for protection and for killing animals. It is worth mentioning that, as found here, the same animal is hunted using more than one type of method or technique [2, 9].

Ethnozoological studies indicate that sociodemographic variables influence knowledge about the ecology of animals, use of faunal resources and patterns related to hunting [46]. Research indicates that the sociodemographic profile of the hunter can affect hunting efficiency [15, 47], number of species hunted [41], knowledge about resources [48], number of hunting techniques [12], perception of resource abundance [26] and predictors of conflicts between people and wild animals [43].

In this study, it was not possible to verify the difference in species knowledge between the genders of the hunters. However, it is necessary to discuss this variable considering the perspective of other studies. The literature points out that hunting is practiced by men, being common among traditional populations or communities linked to the countryside. It is worth mentioning that although hunting is traditionally linked to males, it is not restricted [39]. Archaeological findings have pointed out that this predominant man-hunter behavior is a recent cultural motivation, as ancestral hunter-gatherer communities encouraged contributions from all capable individuals, whether women, men or children [49].

In a case study on female involvement in hunting, women participate in many hunting activities around the world, whether encouraging hunting, performing rituals, tracking injured prey, preparing the hunt or supporting hunters. In the same study, the results showed that women assumed the role of hunter, however, they killed a lower diversity of species and achieved a lower hunting income when compared to men [50]. Regarding the differences in knowledge between men and women, it depends on each study developed, in the research by Santos [42], Lima et al. [31] there were no significant differences between the two groups; in another case study, men showed greater knowledge about species diversity and use value [48].

In this study, age was a statistically significant variable, but it presented a negative correlation, in which the group up to 40 years old cited more species than the group over 40 years of age, not corroborating other studies [15, 31, 48]. The age of the hunter has been a variable identified as statistically significant, presenting a positive correlation with the number of species mentioned. The literature suggests that older hunters are more efficient, know greater taxonomic diversity and master more techniques [11, 15, 26, 42, 47]. A different perspective is pointed out by both Lima et al. [31], and by Santos [48], in which age did not present a statistical correlation with the number of species.

The negative correlation of age with the number of species cited is explained by one of the specific processes of socioecological systems, which is memory. Memory is an often-overlooked variable, but it is important in the way people interact with nature and store information important for survival and reproduction. In this sense, memory influences the individual's local ecological knowledge, which reaches its peak in adulthood until middle age and maintains or decreases its knowledge as age advances [51].

The retrieval of memory about a person's knowledge is linked to temporal issues, that is, people more easily retrieve information related to recent memory of use [52]. This perspective is consistent with the context of the participants of this study, since the older informants are also those who practice hunting activity less frequently, therefore, they remembered a smaller number of game species than the participants who hunt more frequently. Frequency. In this sense, the periodicity variable showed a positive correlation with the number of species mentioned, which is justified by the idea that the lack of involvement with the environment makes people prone to losing knowledge about it [26].

Other sociodemographic variables have shaped interactions with fauna in several studies. Family size, for example, influenced hunting efficiency in an indigenous population, where hunters with smaller families hunted less [15], however, in another study, people with smaller families hunted more species [38]. Some studies have also demonstrated the relationship between hunting and income, and in some cases families with lower incomes hunt more to ensure food security [47] and in other cases there was no significant relationship with income [42].

It was found that there is no dissimilarity in the species composition between the age groups (Young and Experienced), however, the younger ones tend to hunt songbirds, aiming at commercialization with more recurrence and the experienced group hunt more animals for food. A distinct perspective is pointed out in a study developed with birds, in which young hunters hunted essentially for food, while older hunters presented a more versatile hunt, using birds for food, trade and pets [18].