I’ve seen many different kinds of spiders, but the two that jump to mind are the running, jumping Huntsman spiders; and spectacular multi-coloured mountain spiders that spin huge webs and wait in the middle of the path to hug someone’s face.
I’ve seen several different kinds of snake, including a cobra, a hundred pacer, a python, a yellow python (or was it white? It was a long time ago), a banded krait and some brown snakes.
A flying squirrel, monkeys, eagles, an owl, a bright orange/multicoloured hairy caterpillar, bats, geckos, those dinosaur-like lizard things, leeches (one bit my shoe). Oh, and ants: I pitched camp by a river and in the morning found the damn things had gone through my pack, eaten their way through every plastic bag, my waterproof plastic pack liner looked like a seive, eaten through all my food, all my clothing, everywhere. Horrible bloody bitey things! Put on a jersey and ten seconds later, all in unison, they all bite at once. .
Once in the high mountains, far off the beaten track I found a forgotten valley where the aborigines don’t go. It was full of tracks and pig spoor. I saw some chamois or somethings that looked like them. No, they weren’t chamois, they were too small - about the size of a miniature Schnauzer - small deer with small sharp horns that curved slightly backwards. They could run and jump up scree slopes and rock faces at top speed like they were at the beach, and after they’d gone I couldn’t even see how they could possibly find footholds.
[quote=“ice raven”]I’ve seen many different kinds of spiders, but the two that jump to mind are the running, jumping Huntsman spiders; and spectacular multi-coloured mountain spiders that spin huge webs and wait in the middle of the path to hug someone’s face.
I’ve seen several different kinds of snake, including a cobra, a hundred pacer, a python, a yellow python (or was it white? It was a long time ago), a banded krait and some brown snakes.
A flying squirrel, monkeys, eagles, an owl, a bright orange/multicoloured hairy caterpillar, bats, geckos, those dinosaur-like lizard things, leeches (one bit my shoe). Oh, and ants: I pitched camp by a river and in the morning found the damn things had gone through my pack, eaten their way through every plastic bag, my waterproof plastic pack liner looked like a seive, eaten through all my food, all my clothing, everywhere. Horrible bloody bitey things! Put on a jersey and ten seconds later, all in unison, they all bite at once. .
Once in the high mountains, far off the beaten track I found a forgotten valley where the aborigines don’t go. It was full of tracks and pig spoor. I saw some chamois or somethings that looked like them. No, they weren’t chamois, they were too small - about the size of a miniature Schnauzer - small deer with small sharp horns that curved slightly backwards. They could run and jump up scree slopes and rock faces at top speed like they were at the beach, and after they’d gone I couldn’t even see how they could possibly find footholds.[/quote]
wow cool post. Very interesting.
Don’t want to boast too much but have twice seen bears in the wild. The first time (on the Tataka-Paiyun trail - not likely now with its popularity with humans) my friends refused to believe me. The second time (not far from Walami/Dafen), I was believed as I was accompanied by a Canadian…! Have an idea where to go for a good chance of seeing them - location…put it this way - not close to 7-11.
Very impressed with Mucha man’s Mongoose - never seen/tasted.
When the kids go to university, I’m saying goodbye to civilization until I find a Clouded Leopard.
I’ve seen a hell of a lot of insects, birds and what have you, do they count? That’s not surprising that you would see a wide variety of animals in Taiwan. It has a very high level of biodiversity. It has 0.025% of the world’s land and 2.5% of its species.
[quote=“Volviic”]Don’t want to boast too much but have twice seen bears in the wild. The first time (on the Tataka-Paiyun trail - not likely now with its popularity with humans) my friends refused to believe me. The second time (not far from Walami/Dafen), I was believed as I was accompanied by a Canadian…! Have an idea where to go for a good chance of seeing them - location…put it this way - not close to 7-11.
Very impressed with Mucha man’s Mongoose - never seen/tasted.
When the kids go to university, I’m saying goodbye to civilization until I find a Clouded Leopard.[/quote]
I think that was my mongoose ha ha
It was Taipei county as well! At night time near a fish pond. I was and am 100% certain it is a mongoose. I have a book that identifies all Taiwan mammals, their droppings and their footprints. I bought the book for tracking although it is not easy to track in Taiwan as compared to Europe lol I see a fair amount of unusual stuff out with the dog at night time in Taipei county. San Xia area has a lot more than one may realize. Which is probably why there is a lot more that people realize. Even in Shin Dien poaching and bird catching goes on. I once even bumped into an armed poaching gang while in the “forests” of Taipei county. They had one gun with them (it looked home made). They were more shocked to see me than I was to see them.
Wow, this is cool! I didn’t even know other people could change my posts like this! The endless possibilities for mischief that could present…
In this case it actually seem that I posted something funny for the first time ever so it’s definitely a plus.
It’s those meddlesome typist monkeys at play!
[quote=“Volviic”]Don’t want to boast too much but have twice seen bears in the wild. The first time (on the Tataka-Paiyun trail - not likely now with its popularity with humans) my friends refused to believe me. The second time (not far from Walami/Dafen), I was believed as I was accompanied by a Canadian…! Have an idea where to go for a good chance of seeing them - location…put it this way - not close to 7-11.
Very impressed with Muzha man’s Mongoose - never seen/tasted.
When the kids go to university, I’m saying goodbye to civilization until I find a Clouded Leopard.[/quote]
You and the Taiwan government…you’ll be looking for a while yet.
Not many clouded leopards left, if any. They taste good, though, and make you very virile and strong. I had one in a soup once, down in Nantou somewhere.
