陽明山國家公園全球資訊網-英文網陽明山國家公園全球資訊網-英文網

Strigidae family. Spread throughout mid- and low altitude regions. Rests on branches with dense foliage during the day and becomes active after dusk. Has excellent protective coloration. These owls have sharp beaks and strong claws, and they mainly feed on small animals. They are able to locate prey with their heightened hearing senses.

The wild boar is smaller in size than domestic species. They are nocturnal omnivores which feed on anything from tender roots, bulbs, berries, and farm crops. They have a habit of flattening down grass for a place to rest. They also dig for tree and awn roots and leave behind cylindrical footpaths. The Formosan wild boar lives for about fifteen to twenty years.

The most commonly seen wild animal in the forest, the squirrel has a brown body and a distinctive red-brown stomach. They can be seen climbing up tree trunks or prancing among the branches with their bushy gray tails in regions at sea level as well as in the central mountain range up to an altitude of 2,000 meters.

Latin name: Ardisia sieboldii Miq. The siebold ardisia belongs to the family Myrsinaceae. It has long oval leaves in alternate arrangements. The dark green leaves are thin and leathery with lengths of 7 to 14 centimeters. The pinnate vein on the leaf's underside is not obvious. Small brown spots are scattered on the central rib. The branches separate into a candlestick shape. There are fist-shaped swellings at the underside of the connection between branches and the trunk. Flowering season is from April to May. On windy hills it is one of the wind-resistant trees and occupies the top level canopy.

Latin name: Parathelypteris japonica (Bak.) Ching Thelypteris japonica belongs to the family Thelypteridaceae. It has a short stem with clusters of leaves. The petiole is chestnut brown with many short, brown scales that fall off easily. The leaves are bipinnate fronds with pinnules becoming smaller and smaller approaching the base. The rachis has a gorge, a defining characteristic in the wild. Besides the bat's wing fern, it is another distinctive fern in the Yangmingshan area.

Latin name: Sphaeropteris lepifera (Hook.) Tryon A large tree fern, the common tree-fern does not produce flowers, fruit or seeds, reproducing with spores. It has a high stem and a thick petiole and lives in damp, dark original forests. Oval leaf marks are formed on the petiole when old leaves wither and drop off. Hollowing and drying out the upper part of the stem produces brush pots, which is where the fern received its Chinese name, the “brush pot tree”. Layers of aerial roots (called “snake wood” in Chinese) are found on the lower half of the stem, which are often used to cultivate orchids.