"Amphibians of Taiwan"

Chou Wen-Hao
Deputy Director/Curator of Herpetology
National Museum of Natural Sciences,
Taichung, Taiwan

Thursday, 16th September 2004: 4.00pm - 5.00pm

DBS Seminar Room 3
Blk S2, Level 2, Department of Biological Sciences
The National University of Singapore
Science Drive 4

Visitors may park at Carpark 10
See map

Host: Leong Tzi Ming and Darren Yeo

About the Talk
In Taiwan, around 32 amphibian species have been recorded, belonging to nine genera in six families from two orders: the Urodela (salamanders and newts) and the Anura (toads and frogs). Among the Urodela, the Formosan salamander and Sonani's salamander, both endemic to Taiwan, are relic species which were left behind when ice-age glaciers retreated. Among the Anura, Taiwan has seven endemic frog species: the emerald green tree frog, Rhacophorus moltrechti, Buergeria robustus, Chirixalus idiootocus, the Taipei green tree frog, Rhacophorus aurantiventris, Rhacophorus arvalis. Amphibians have long been important in the lives of people in Taiwan. The croaking of frogs is an essential part of the night-time atmosphere, and memories of angling for frogs are among many people's sweetest recollections of childhood. But the numbers of amphibians in Taiwan have fallen greatly, and rare species restricted to particular geographical areas, such as the Taipei brown frog and the emerald green tree frog, are already highly endangered.

ALL ARE WELCOME!  

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