Taiwan

Mammals found nowhere else include the Formosan Rock Macaque (iNaturalist), the Formosan Serow (caprinae world), the Formosan Ferret-badger (flickr), the Taiwan Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Field Mouse (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Vole (iNaturalist), the Spiny Taiwan White-bellied Rat (iNaturalist), the Formosan Woolly Horseshoe Bat (iNaturalist), the Necklace Sprite (iNaturalist) (figs. 39-40 at JoTT), the Taiwan Long-eared Bat (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Tube-nosed Bat (Bats in China), Kano's Mole (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Mole Shrew (TaiBNET), and the Taiwan Brown-toothed Shrew (iNaturalist). Endemic subspecies include the Formosan Black Bear (Yushan NP) and the Taiwan Sika Deer (iNaturalist).

Birds unique to Taiwan include the Mikado Pheasant (eBird), Swinhoe’s Pheasant (eBird), the Taiwan Partridge (eBird), the Taiwan Bamboo Partridge (Birding in Taiwan), the Taiwan Barbet (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Blue Magpie (eBird), the Collared Bush-robin (eBird), the Flamecrest (eBird), Styan's Bulbul (eBird), the Rusty Laughingthrush (eBird), the Yellow Tit (eBird), the Taiwan Shortwing (eBird), the Small Vivid Niltava (eBird), the White-eared Sibia (eBird), the Taiwan Thrush (eBird), the Taiwan Fulvetta (Birding Nerd), the Taiwan Liocichla (eBird), the Taiwan Rosefinch (Birding@Taiwan), the Taiwan Yuhina (eBird), the Taiwan Bullfinch (iNaturalist), and the Taiwan Whistling-thrush (eBird).

Reptiles exclusive to Taiwan include the Taiwan Mountain Pit Viper (Snakes of Taiwan), the Taiwan Coral Snake (Snakes of Taiwan), the Black Odd-scaled Snake (Snakes of Taiwan), the Taiwan Keelback (Snakes of Taiwan), the Atayal Slug-eating Snake (iNaturalist), Maki's Keelback (Snakes of Taiwan), Botel’s Gecko (iNaturalist), the Lanyu Scaly-toed Gecko (iNaturalist), the Hsuehshan Grass Lizard (iNaturalist), the Green-spotted Grass Lizard (TaiEOL), the Formosan Smooth Skink (flickr), the Taiwan Alpine Skink (TaiBNET), and the Taiwan Japalure (iNaturalist).

Amphibians restricted to Taiwan include Moltrecht’s Green Tree Frog (iNaturalist), the tree frogs Kurixalus berylliniris and Kurixalus wangi (both at Species New to Science), the Brown Tree Frog (iNaturalist), Swinhoe's Frog (iNaturalist), the Long-legged Brown Frog (ARKive WM), Sauter’s Brown Frog (ARKive WM), the Bankor Toad (flickr), Stejneger’s Paddy Frog (Frog Home), Sonan’s Salamander (iNaturalist), and the Taiwan Salamander (ARKive WM).

Freshwater fishes living solely in Taiwan include the Taiwan Ku Fish (iNaturalist), the Thickhead Chub (FishBase), the Central Taiwan Gudgeon (Fish Database of Taiwan), the Taiwan White Minnow (FishBase), the Formosan River Loach (Seriously Fish), the Formosan Torrent Catfish (Digital Taiwan), the Taiwan Bagrid Catfish (flickr), the gobies Luciogobius huatungensis (fig. 4 at Zootaxa pdf) and Rhinogobius lanyuensis (Fish Database of Taiwan), the Taiwan Snake Eel (GBIF), and Takao's Garfish (PLAZI). Endemic genera include a sleeper Formosaneleotris (Zootaxa pdf) and the striped daces Candidia (iNaturalist).

Endemic marine fish include the Taiwan Saddled Carpetshark (Fish Database of Taiwan), Yang's Hagfish Eptatretus yangi (FishBase), the Purplescaled Perchlet (GBIF), the Taiwan Lizardfish (Fish Database of Taiwan), the Taiwanese Wedgefish (Fish Database of Taiwan), the Taiwanese Moray (Fish Database of Taiwan), the gobies Callogobius sheni (FishBase) and Luciogobius matsuensis (PLAZI), Shen's Jawfish (Fish Database of Taiwan), the Taiwanese Triangular Batfish (ResearchGate), Poseidon's Scorpionfish (GBIF), and the triplefins Helcogramma williamsi (ZooKeys) and Enneapterygius shaoi and Enneapterygius sheni (both at fig. 1 of Raffles Bulletin pdf). The Taiwanese Worm Eel (ResearchGate) and the Bigfin Mora (GBIF) are endemic genera.

Butterflies confined to Taiwan include the Highland Red-bellied Swallowtail (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Swallowtail (iNaturalist), Watari's Hairstreak (iNaturalist), the Formosan Large White Flat (flickr), the Taiwan Brimstone (GBIF), the Formosan Duke (flickr), the Formosan Five-ring (iNaturalist), the Formosan Sailor (iNaturalist), the Formosan Kaiser (iNaturalist), the Formosan Lilacfork (iNaturalist), and the Yellow Emperor (butterflynono.net). Endemic moths include Loepa formosensis (flickr), the Taiwan Moon Moth (iNaturalist), Formokamaga flavopicta (GBIF), Birthana taiwana (GBIF), Camptoloma carum (GBIF), Eterusia taiwana (iNaturalist), and Ambulyx semiplacida (flickr),

Other endemic insects include the dragonflies Sinogomphus formosanus (flickr) and Sympetrum nantouensis (Dragonflies of Taiwan), a damselfly Euphaea formosa (iNaturalist), the katydids Phyllophorina kotoshoensis (iNaturalist) and Hexacentrus formosanus (GBIF), a grasshopper Sinopodisma formosana (iNaturalist), a cricket Dianemobius kimurae (iNaturalist), a stick insect Phasmotaenia lanyuhensis (iNaturalist), a lanternfly Pyrops watanabei (iNaturalist), a cicada Purana apicalis (iNaturalist), a hoverfly Volucella taiwana (iNaturalist), a banana-stalk fly Telostylus decemnotatus (biodiv.tw WM), the Formosan Long-armed Scarab (iNaturalist), the Brilliant Jewel Beetle (TEIA), the Formosan Stag Beetle (flickr), the Nanhutashan Ground Beetle (flickr), a tiger beetle Cosmodela batesi (flickr), a soldier beetle Themus purpuratus (flickr), a click beetle Campsosternus yasuakii (iNaturalist), the longhorn beetles Doliops similis (flickr) and Paraglenea swinhoei (iNaturalist), a leaf beetle Gallerucida sauteri (aliaw1958.blogspot), a weevil Pachyrrhynchus tobafolius (iNaturalist), an ant Camponotus habereri (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Yellowjacket (flickr), and the Taiwan Bumblebee (iNaturalist).

Endemic land snails include Cyclophorus formosensis (Landsnails of Taiwan), Aegista impexa (iNaturalist), Japonia lanyuensis (Taiwan Malacofauna Database), Helicostyla okadai (iNaturalist), Petalochlamys formosana (Landsnails of Taiwan), and Satsuma polymorpha (ResearchGate). Other endemic invertebrates include a tarantula Phlogiellus watasei (TaiEOL), a funnel-web spider Macrothele hungae (iNaturalist), a lynx spider Peucetia formosensis (iNaturalist), a wolf spider Hogna arborea (iNaturalist), a harvestman Pseudogagrella taiwana (iNaturalist), a whip spider Charon ambreae (ResearchGate), a millipede Spirobolus panmaus (iNaturalist), a freshwater shrimp Neocaridina fonticulata (ZooKeys), a terrestrial crab Geothelphusa albogilva (iNaturalist), a river crab Nanhaipotamon formosanum (ARKive WM), an isopod Ligia taiwanensis (iNaturalist), the earthworms Metaphire taiwanensis (iNaturalist) and Amynthas lini (iNaturalist), and a coral Pseudosiderastrea formosa (Taipei Times). Two families of copepod crustaceans, the Strepidae (ResearchGate) and the Makrostrotidae (Zoological Studies pdf), are so far known only from Taiwan.

Among over 1000 vascular plant species founly only in Taiwan are the extinct in the wild Kanehira Azalea (flickr), the Yushan Rhododendron (flickr), the Taiwan Lily (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Cobra Lily (iNaturalist), the Lanyu Banana (Trebrown), the Largeflower Wild Ginger (iNaturalist), Geranium hayatanum (iNaturalist), Veratrum formosanum (iNaturalist), Dryopteris subatrata (iNaturalist), Dianthus pygmaeus (TaiBNET), the Taiwan Mazus (iNaturalist), Chrysanthemum morii (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Quillwort (iNaturalist), Iris formosana (flickr), Begonia austrotaiwanensis (iNaturalist), Alpinia koshunensis (iNaturalist), Ophiorrhiza hayatana (iNaturalist), the Alishan Gentian (iNaturalist), and several orchids: Cypripedium formosanum (IUCN), Dendrobium sanseiense (iNaturalist), Cymbidium formosanum (flickr), Bulbophyllum setaceum (iNaturalist), and Calanthe arisanensis (iNaturalist). Endemic genera include Kudoacanthus (Flora of Taiwan WM) (iNaturalist), Conjugatovarium (p. 19 of ResearchGate pdf), Shaolinchiana (p. 26 of ResearchGate pdf), and Tangshuia (NTU WM).

Trees known only from Taiwan include the Taiwan Spruce (RBGE), the Taiwan Cypress (RBGE), the Taiwan Fir (RBGE), the Taiwan Catkin Yew (RBGE), the Nakai Podocarp (ARKive WM), Magnolia kachirachirai (ARKive WM), a palm Pinanga tashiroi (ARKive WM), Camellia hengchunensis (iNaturalist), Maackia taiwanensis (iNaturalist), Cycas taitungensis (Cycad Pages WM), the Evergreen Maple (iNaturalist), the Formosan Alder (iNaturalist), the Alishan Oak (IOS), the Nanyu Persimmon (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Cotton Rose (iNaturalist), the Alsihan Elm (iNaturalist), the Taiwan Sassafras (iNaturalist), and the Taiwan Firethorn (iNaturalist). Endemic tree genera include Tetrapanax (iNaturalist) and Sinopanax (iNaturalist).

Endemic fungi include Taiwanofungus camphoratus (Forum of Fungi) (iNaturalist) and Mycena subcyanocephala (iNaturalist). Endemic lichens include Vezdaea flava (Tropical Lichens) and Sphaerophorus taiwanensis (Tropical Lichens). Endemic non-vascular plants include the mosses Andreaea taiwanensis (ResearchGate) and Plagiothecium shevockii (BHL) and the liverworts Frullania dasyueshanensis (ResearchGate) and Cololejeunea nanhutashanensis (GBIF).

Taiwan is part of the Southern Japan, Taiwan and Southern China coral reef hotspot (Columbia Univ. WM pdf). The island is divided into two terrestrial ecoregions: the South Taiwan Monsoon Rain Forests (EoE) and the Taiwan Subtropical Evergreen Forests (EoE). An important freshwater ecoregion is the Western Taiwan (FEOW WM). For lists of endemic species see (TaiBNET), (Wikipedia), and (GBIF).