Plants:

1.Birds’ Net Fern

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2.Railway Beggarticks Herb

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3.Water Parsley

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4.Fruits used by Amis aboriginals to make red dye

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The nightly adventure:

A. Taiwan toad (Bufo bankorensis)

Taiwan toad is known to inhabit in the highest region and by far the largest in Taiwan among majority of the frog family. They are dispersed all over Taiwan from the plains to the mountains at an altitude of 3000 meters above the sea level. Though they are native to Taiwan, the name “Taiwan Toad” was formalized after a few disputes. Taiwan Toad was formally named in 1908 and was categorized as a type of toad unique to Taiwan. Due to the lack of understandings, Taiwan toads were often mistaken for Bufo gargarizans cantors commonly seen in Mainland China. In 1986, Professor Matsui, a Japanese expert, declared that Taiwan toads was unique to Taiwan

Taiwan toads vary a lot in sizes ranging from 5 cm to 20 cm. Their backs came with a variety of colors and patterns: colors in red, brown, or dark brown; some have black stripes on both sides while some have a yellow line running through the middle of their backs and some are plain looking without any external features. Nonetheless, they are toads and they have various warts in their bodies and also a couple of parotid gland behind their eyes, creating poisonous fluids to protect themselves from predators during attacks. In addition, a single Taiwan toad’s is less likely to create a fatal attack solely for the purpose of warning its predators. Other than skins and internal organs, toads are safe to eat. Therefore, toads can even be used for surviving outdoors especially in mountains at an altitude up to 3000 meters above sea level.

At night, Taiwan toads are known to haunt around trails, vacant land, areas with plenty of streetlights and bugs, and more. Between September and February, they migrate to creeks, ponds and other water source for mating. Historically, Taiwan toads are beneficial to mankind. Since Tang Dynasty, Chinese has been known to make edible flakes out of toads’ parotid gland discharges, used for medical purpose especially in taking poisons and swellings out of one’s body, strengthening heart functions, and improving urinating. Toads are known to inhabit in areas near residential housings or farmland. Because their main food sources are insects, toads are beneficial to farming by eliminating harmful insects for crops._Top

B. Riparian Frog (Rana swinhoana)

“Chirp-” What kind of bird is this?

It sounds as if came from rivers, creeks, or waterfalls. Don’t worry to look up, but look down to search for a frog. That’s correct. Most likely, they are sounds of riparian frogs. They are well known among bird watching enthusiasts and also know as “Cheating birds”. Riparian frogs are often introduced in bird watching courses for beginner because it is important to differentiate sounds of frogs from birds’ or one can easily be confused.

Riparian frogs are also known as “Brown back frogs” and are considered large frogs with maximum length up to10 cm. Other body features include various body colors, a slender body type, and suction-like toes typical for water species. They are known to dwell in areas near creeks all year round. While hiding in rocks’ cracks or grass by riverbanks, this type of frogs appears individually in the grass area or on the rocks by riverbanks and they are known for being highly independent and self-efficient. Because they often keep distance between each other, calling out loud is the only communication channel among frogs. Interestingly, their bird-like sounds often fooled beginner bird watchers. Though they don’t make sounds very often, the sound of one frog usually invokes a wave of sounds from numerous frogs and together they could potential create consider amount of noise.

Riparian frogs can be found all over Taiwan and usually haunt around rivers, creeks, and waterfalls up to 2000 meters above sea level. Except for winters, they are active all year round. They lay eggs in falls and springs, the time when they are most heard. Their large white eggs often gather around riverbanks or areas with slow flowing water. Newly hatched tadpole are completely white similar to bean sprouts though they gradually turn dark and eventually turn dark brown due to skin pigmentation. _Top

C. Moltreche's green tree frog (Rhacophorus moltrechti)

Moltreche's green tree frog is a member of Rhacophoridae family. This type of frogs is unique to Taiwan and has been categorized as one of the endangered species, known to inhabit in mountain regions, orchards, and cultivated land at an altitude up to 2500 meters above sea level. In general, Moltreche's green tree frogs live on the trees until reproduction periods and their reproduction activities take place around areas with water.

The most distinctive feature of tree frogs is the suctions at the tips of their toes used for clinging onto leaves or climbing trees. Moltreche's green tree frogs are no exceptions. Other distinctive features include dark green color on the back and bright orange red on inner legs. In addition, there are dark spots in various sizes alongside the inner legs and both sides of the body depending on the age of a Moltreche's green tree frog.

How do you differentiate a male frog from a female frog? In Taroko, there are three known methods to tell the differences. First of all, because “sound sack” is unique to a male frog only, the skin under a male frog’s chin is usually sagging. A female frog is just the opposite. Secondly, a male frog is relatively smaller than a female frog. Lastly, the color of a frog’s belly gives away its gender where a male frog has bright yellow belly and a female’s belly is generally white.

Depending on weather conditions or latitudes, reproduction periods of Moltreche's green tree frogs vary a lot across Taiwan. In Taroko National Park and Hualien region, main reproduction periods are in winter and spring seasons, a period beginning in September or October and ending in April or May of the following year. After March or April, it is common to spot newly transformed Moltreche's green tree frogs with an average length of 2 cm.

Moltreche's green tree frogs share the same method of laying eggs as Taipei tree frogs. During the process of laying eggs, male frogs and female frogs together splash the water to foam a group of bubbles where frog eggs are being hatched. When eggs are transformed into little tadpoles, rainwater will rush them into nearby water regions where tadpoles will grow.

When you get a chance to visit Taroko National Park, check out the ditches alongside the road and you will be surprised when you spot a dark brown tadpole with matured back legs or you may even find a dark green Moltreche's green tree frog looking back at you. What an incredible experience to witness the outcome of their transformation!_Top

D. Chinese green tree viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri)

Wherever you are in life, there is always something missing deep down at the bottom of your heart. It is not unusual to have an urge to indulge in the splendid ocean view while going on exhausting mountain hiking. Whereas, missing out the serendipity in secluded mountains is a common feeling after spending a long time on the ocean.

As soon as becoming used to life in the mountain, one may develop a yearning to hide away in the serene beauty of mountains. The longing for mountains once haunted me and prevented me from pursuing a future with the ocean. At present time, I can’t imagine abandoning the paradise of green mountains. Even when I was sitting down on the green boat deck, it hurt thinking of the picturesque image of beautiful and clear night in the mountain, a place I used to call home. Though the ocean breeze mixed with the salty air blew my face numb, it shook me when picturing the sound of cicadas and frogs accompanied by the loud barking of a Formosan Reeve's muntjac. At that instant, my heart was where the mountains were as if I had not been on the ocean. In the wilderness, there are countless animals of any types imaginable. The one impressed me the most was Chinese green tree viper, a subject I studied upon during my graduate study.

Chinese green tree vipers spread widely in Taiwan. Majority of them are known to inhabit in areas at altitude up to 2500m above seal level and have become one of most known type of snakes in Taiwan. Because Chinese green tree vipers are known in a variety of cultural backgrounds, they are called various names such as Chinese bamboo snake, green bamboo viper, red-tailed globefish, and more. Nonetheless, snakes of this type are poisonous. Though these green vipers historically have been coexisting with mankind, frequent encounters have not improved relationships between mankind and these snakes. Mankind’s fear of these green tree vipers is unreasonable to me. The fact that most people fear toward green tree vipers had little to do with level, amount, and fatality of their poisons. No matter how others think of the green tree vipers, I will not think any less of these creatures.

Red tailed green tree vipers were the major subject of my study for about three years. During our nightly outdoor discovery, the headlight on my helmet was a great help and the light beam shone like a sharpened sword clearing our way ahead. While we were looking for Chinese green tree vipers in the bushy areas of the slope edges, the bright light beam led our way. Unfortunately, we had several encounters with other types of snakes and had to slow down a few times as a result. Only when we spotted neon-like green flashes, we had to come to a halt for documenting our findings.

At that moment, we use snake-catching stick to hold down a snake by its neck and pick up the snake’s body to examine every body part of a snake. Because an implanted chip under its skin can identify a recognizable snake, a chip reader is used to scan the chip to accurately identify each snake. When the indicator light flashes, a beep will go off and information about the examined snake will be available for our progress report such as “Female, 01289B55(Remark)!”. Unlike mankind or our pets, they don’t have names and their identities are made up with a few letters and numbers. During the course of study, we have repeatedly conducted a set of routines in which we were assigned to a series of tasks such as catching, identifying, implanting chips, measuring lengths and heights.

Casually hanging over tree branches, most green tree vipers seem to have characteristics of one comparing to a loner. However, they are good at disguising themselves and are patient predators. While spotting their preys, green tree vipers give the helpless victims a fatal blow. This is a preying strategy known as “Sitting and Waiting” by using the heat sensing ability between eyes and nose. These vipers are able to succeed in their territories by detect body temperatures of victims such as mice, birds, lizards, frogs and more. _Top