Hung-Yu Chen

Syrmaticus mikado

Mikado pheasant is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds.

Sometimes considered an unofficial national bird of Taiwan, a pair of Mikado pheasants and Yushan National Park, one of the areas it is known to inhabit, is depicted in the 1000 dollar bill of the New Taiwan dollar.

Agehana maraho

The Taiwan Swallowtail Butterfly is a species unique to Taiwan. Its forewings have a black-brown color, while the hindwings feature prominent white spots and red crescent-shaped patterns. The tail-like protrusions are notably wide and red in color. The caterpillar feeds on the Taiwan Cherry Tree and its population is extremely scarce, making it a conservation species.

Polycyathus chaishanensis

The critically endangered species, first-class conservation level, was discovered in the Taoyuan Datan algal reef area in June 2017. By 2020, there were more than 100 living colonies recorded in the Datan algal reef. Currently, in Taiwan, its distribution has also been documented in the Kaohsiung Chai Mountain and Taoyuan Guanyin coastal algal reef areas.

Prunus taiwaniana

The Wushe Mountain Cherry Blossom is a deciduous small tree with oval-elliptical leaves. The leaf edges are serrated, and there are two glands at the leaf base. The flowers are white, arranged in clusters of 36 blossoms. The petals are elongated with a notched tip, blooming at the end of March. This plant is native to the middle elevations of Taiwan and commonly found in the central mountainous regions.

Leopard cat

It resembles a domestic cat with a gray-brown coat adorned with black spots and dark stripes on its forehead, similar to a leopard's pattern. It is nocturnal, agile, and carnivorous. The species is found in broadleaf forests and shrubs. Currently, its population is scarce, and its elusive behavior makes it difficult to spot.

Cirsium tatakaense