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

Among the numerous butterfly species, the chestnut tiger is the species that appears earliest during the butterfly-watching season. During the May 'plum rain' season, many chestnut tigers form quite a spectacle as they feed on orchid nectar along the trail from Erziping parking lot to Mt. Datun main peak.

The Günther's frog is a large frog which is eight to ten centimeters long. Their preferred habitat is flat or low-lying ditches which easily retain water. They are nocturnal and mating season is April to August. Male frogs have a deep and husky call that sounds like a dog's bark.

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: Callicarpa formosana Rolfe The Formosan beauty berry is an excellent nectar plant. Its light purple flowers attract many insects. The fruit, when ripe, is also purple in color and is an excellent food source for various birds. Flowering season is from April to September.

Latin name: Miscanthus sinensis Anders. Silver-grass is a hardy pioneer species that grows quickly and spectacularly in reclaimed land, wastelands, and collapsed land. The flowers in the Yangmingshan area bloom bright red because of the sulfuric gases in the area, distinguishing it from regular plain-white blossoms.

Latin name: Alpinia intermedia Gagn. Hardy wild ginger belongs to the ginger family and is a perennial plant. It grows to about 1 to 3 meters tall and has large, smooth, and long leaves about 25 to 35 centimeters long and 5 to 8 centimeters wide. It has a panicle inflorescene and round berries which are red when ripe. The flowering season is from spring to autumn and is in full bloom during the summer months. The hardy wild ginger grows in mountain woodlands 300 to 1,000 meters above sea level.

Latin name: Euscaphis japonica (Thunb.) Kanitz Japanese euscaohis is scattered about the Datun Volcano Group and prefers the border of forests and along footpaths. In autumn when the fruit ripen, the red fruit splits open to reveal the adorable black seeds inside. The glossy and leathery leaves are hypanthium. In the winter they turn from a lush green to yellow and fall leaf by leaf.