Table 3.
Reptile parts used and reasons
| Animal | Part used | Use and use method | Reason(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus | Skull2 | - Decoration | Traditional inherited practice |
| Skin2 | - Making of drums | Large, durable, elastic and resistant, produce the desired sound (different from other skins) and contains less fat | |
| Egyptian cobra Naja haje | Skin2 | - Making of drums | Strong |
| Head1 | - Sold to Nigerians | For money | |
| Dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis | Skull and dung1 | - Sold to Nigerians | For money |
| Dung1 | - Treat skin problems: rub on the skin | Medicinal | |
| Teeth3 | - For making necklaces | Prestige | |
| Skin2,3 | - Making of drums | Strong and durable | |
| - Decoration | Indicates a member of Ekpe | ||
| African rock python Python sebae | Skull1 | - Sold to Nigerians | For money |
| Fat1 (Figure 20) | - Treat joint pains, snake bite, fire burns, stomachache, swollen fingers, sprain and skin inflammations: apply on the body part | Medicinal | |
| Egg1 | - Treats poison: extract the yolk and apply on cuts made on the body with a razorblade | Medicinal | |
| Bone and fat1 | - Treats waist pains: burn and grind the bones, then mix with the fat and apply on cuts made on the waist with a razor blade | Medicinal | |
| Skin2,3 | - Making of drums | Durable, produces the desired sound, light, large and elastic | |
| - Making drums of sacred societies | Denotes strength and power | ||
| - Used as carpets by chiefs | For honor | ||
| Head1 | - Treats snake bites: grind and mix with your blood and consume | Medicinal | |
| - Sold to Nigerians | For money | ||
| Eastern green mamba Dendroaspis angusticeps | Head1 | - Ingredient for the composition of the remedy against snake bites | Not revealed |
| Tortoise Kinixys spp.; | Shell1,3,4 (Figure 21) | - Prevents many diseases: grind and mix with modern medicines and consume | Increases human resistance to diseases |
| - To announce messages/sad news in the village: play using either branches of trees, bones of blue duiker, elephant, red river hog, gorilla, drill and chimpanzee | Inherited traditional practice | ||
| - Decoration | Inherited traditional practice | ||
| - Sold to Nigerians | For money | ||
| - Treats eczema: burn, grind and apply on the skin | Medicinal | ||
| Bone1 | - For strength: burn, grind, mix with oil palm and apply on cuts made on the body with a razor blade | Medicinal | |
| - Treats fractures: tie on the broken leg | Believed to be a strong animal | ||
| Blood1 | - Treats eczema: apply on the infected part | Medicinal | |
| Tortoise1 | - Sold to tradi-practitioners as it is believed to protects man against sorcerers | For money | |
| Nile monitor Varanus niloticus | Skin2,3 (Figure 22) | - Making of drums | Durable, resistant, light, elastic and produces good sound |
| - Decoration: hang in houses of Ekpe members | Denotes power | ||
| Chest skin2 | - Making of drums | Solid | |
| Rhinoceros horned viper Bitis nasicornis | Teeth1,4 | - Treats breast pains and induces flow of maternal milk: the breast is pierced several times with the tooth | Inherited traditional practice |
| - Treats boyls : pierce the boyl with the tooth | Medicinal | ||
| - Used as a blade | Inherited traditional practice | ||
| Skull1,4 | - Protect man against sorcerers: grind and mix with oil palm and apply on cuts made on the body with a razor blade | Usually considered as a witchcraft animal | |
| - Sold to Nigerians | For money | ||
| Skin2 | - Making of drums | Durable, large, light, elastic and produces quality sound. Also, it does not contain fat | |
| Head1 | - Dry and sell to tradi-practitioners and Nigerians | For money |
Note: 1Animals with food, medicinal and sales values.
2Ethnomusical animals and parts used as trophy.
3Animals used in decoration and jewelry making.
4Magico-religious and multipurpose animals.