While many people are afraid of spiders, not all of these eight-legged creatures are actually vermin. The brown huntsman spider, for example, is quite adept at killing cockroaches. Around 450 spider species have been recorded in Taiwan, but the estimated number of arachnid species to be found in the wild actually exceeds a thousand. The Endemic Species Research Institute (ESRI) has set up a Web page on Facebook — The Spider Club: Taiwan Spider Studies — to encourage the public to help create a platform for sharing data on various spider species.
ESRI says that relatively few spiders pose any apparent threat to humans, adding that the few highly poisonous spiders found in Taiwan include Macrothele taiwanensis and the female redback spider. You can avoid putting yourself in harm’s way by not trying to catch any of these spiders, the institute says. There is no shortage of uniquely shaped spiders out there, including the Cyrtarachne bufo, which disguises itself as bird excrement, the ant-like Myrmarachne formosana, or the crab spider which exhibits an eyeshade-like feature and the Ariamnes with its adorably long, slender body.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
Photo courtesy of the Endemic Species Research Institute
照片由特有生物研究保育中心提供
許多人雖然怕蜘蛛,但這些八條腿的動物不見得都是害蟲,像是白額高腳蛛,可是剋蟑高手。目前台灣記錄到的蜘蛛有四百五十種,但野外估計應有千種以上。特有生物研究保育中心成立臉書社團「蛛式會社—台灣蜘蛛研究」,號召民眾協助建立蜘蛛物種時空分布資訊。
特生中心指出,僅有極少數蜘蛛對人體有顯著危害,在台灣僅長尾蛛、赤背寡婦蛛等具較強毒性,只要不徒手捕捉,就能避免傷害。其實有不少蜘蛛造型特殊,如偽裝成鳥糞的鳥糞蛛、擬態成螞蟻的蟻蛛、戴著眼罩的蟹蛛、身體細長的蚓腹蛛等,模樣可愛。
(自由時報記者鍾麗華)
Photo courtesy of the Endemic Species Research Institute
照片由特有生物研究保育中心提供
Photo courtesy of the Endemic Species Research Institute
照片由特有生物研究保育中心提供
Tangbao are one of the most internationally renowned delicacies, that win the hearts of both locals and tourists. Their charm lies in the paper-thin flour wrapper that needs to be folded evenly almost 20 times. Folding a tangbao requires skill to deal with a bulging filling and a thin wrapper. Tangbao are served in a bamboo steamer in which they are steamed, not only adding to the visual appearance, but ensuring they do not get cold before reaching the table. The best way to enjoy a tangbao is to dip it in a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce with
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) announced a seismic change in direction on March 19, hiking interest rates for the first time in 17 years. The move represents an unwinding of an ultra-loose — and maverick -- policy aimed at putting Japan’s “lost decades” of stagnation and deflation behind it. The last time the BoJ raised interest rates was in 2007, but its war against deflation began in earnest in 2013 under then-prime minister Shinzo Abe. “Abenomics” combined generous government spending and central bank monetary easing. The BoJ spent vast amounts on bonds and other assets to pump liquidity into the
A: Wow, YouTuber Xander 73’s channel “73_Tricking” now has over 10 million subscribers, making him Taiwan’s first 10-million YTR. B: Cool! But what’s “tricking?” A: Basically, it’s a sport derived from extreme martial arts. B: Xander 73’s income is as high as NT$600,000 per month. What’s the secret of his success? A: He often uses English catchphrases in his videos to attract more viewers from around the world. This shows how important English is. A: 哇,YouTuber奇軒的「奇軒Tricking」頻道訂閱突破千萬人, 成為台灣首位千萬YTR! B: 好厲害,但什麼是tricking啊? A: 聽說是極限武術所衍生的運動。 B: 奇軒月入60萬,成功的秘訣是什麼呢? A: 他常使用英文標語,所以能吸引全球觀眾,可見英文多重要。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
Have you ever wished for an extra hour to prepare for exams or finish homework? In some countries, people actually adjust their clocks to gain or lose an hour, all for the sake of Daylight Saving Time (DST). Specifically, clocks are set forward by an hour in March and then set back in November. One of the primary reasons for implementing DST is to make better use of natural daylight so that people can reduce energy consumption. The concept originated with Benjamin Franklin in 1784 and became widely adopted during World War I. Today, this system is in place