Hiking along sunny trails in mountain areas above 2,500 meters in Taiwan during summer, you may spot the Morrison Stonecrop with its bright star-shaped yellow blossoms and tiny succulent leaves. Its genus name, Sedum, is derived from Latin, "sedo," which means "to settle;" for they are mostly found well settled on rocky cliffs. There are more than 400 members in the stonecrop family, the Morrison Stonecrop being one of the eight species endemic to Taiwan.

Taiwan Edelweiss, a glacial relict species, grows among the mountains at altitudes between 3,200m and 3,800m in Taiwan. Just as its relative in the Alps mountain range and the classic song about it, it blooms with fluffy bracts "small and white, clean and bright" from June to August. The tiny, fuzzy white hairs that cover the plant protect it from frost and ultraviolet radiation.

Sometimes you can hear the high-pitched chirping of the Taiwan Barbet among the trees at parks, campuses, and forests at mid-to-low altitudes in Taiwan. They are not easy to see because their emerald feathers camouflage them well among the leaves. If you find one close up, you will notice it has a distinctive blue crown, golden forehead and larynx and a red area under its larynx. Its chirping resembles the rhythm of a monk striking the temple block, hence its nickname the "flowery monk."

While hiking along the trails in Taiwan's central and southern mountain ranges in mid-spring, you may come upon the Taiwan Rhododendron's white bell-shaped flower blossoming. This beauty can grow to 20 meters, the highest among those belonging to the Ericaceae family in Taiwan. It is also Taiwan's only native species capable of forming a rhododendron forest.

This species of dolphin is found exclusively in the waters off the coast of Indo-Pacific islands, China, Hong-Kong and west coast of Taiwan. Its skin color changes from grey to pink or white as it matures. It is often spotted during March and April around the time of the sea goddess Mazu's birthday is celebrated. The dolphin seems to be joining the celebration, and thus its nickname "Mazu's fish."

Once considered exotic, Taiwan Quinoa is in fact a native species familiar to indigenous people in Taiwan for centuries. Known as "djulis" in Paiwan, "mukun" in Bunun, this brightly colored red and yellow quinoa grows well in dry, barren soil, making it suitable for hard times, and it is considered as nutritious as quinoa from South America.

The Taiwan Rosefinch, once considered a subspecies of the Vinaceous Rosefinch, is only found in nature in Taiwan. The male has striking red wine colored feathers, while the female has a simple brown appearance. These birds can be spotted in mountain ranges at about 2,000~3,000 meters. There they feed mainly upon seeds and small worms .

Formosan Sambars are Taiwan's largest herbivores, with a head and body length approximating 180 cm. They are also known as “four-eyed deer” because of their suborbital glands, which are situated just below their eyes. They rub the glands on tree trunks to mark their domain and open them when they are excited.

This tree is the only plant that uses "Taiwan" as its genus in the kingdom of plants. It can grow to about 40 to 50 meters high and even higher. Because it is hard to see the canopy clearly from the ground, the Rukai people call it "the tree that hits the moon".

Unlike most of their relatives, Taiwanese fiddler crabs dwell in viscid sandy habitats. They can easily be found in the wetlands of Xiangshan, Hsinchu.
Male crabs have an enlarged fiddler claw that resembles a pair of white scissors. This characteristic distinguishes them from other species in the area.