Three years ago, Taipei Zoo launched a project to conserve and reproduce Taipei frogs. This year, the project has seen a significant rise in the number of eggs produced by the captive frogs as well a high hatching rate.
Taipei frogs are small and slender. While adult female Taipei frogs can grow to approximately 4cm from snout to vent, adult males can grow to about 3cm long. The frogs — which have two unique stripes on their back resembling shoulder straps — have become hard to find in the wild in recent years due to shrinking habitats and the threat of pesticides.
In order to prevent Taipei frogs from becoming extinct in the wild, three years ago Taipei Zoo began a project to conserve and reproduce them. The zoo is currently home to 246 Taipei frogs. Since March, eight Taipei frogs at the zoo have become pregnant. One of them laid as many as 1,001 eggs in one time, setting a new record for the conservation project. Of all the eggs produced by the frogs as part of the project, as many as 89.9 percent have hatched.
Photo: Courtesy of Taipei Zoo
照片:台北市立動物園提供
Eric Tsao, the zoo’s spokesman, says that the breeding season of Taipei frogs is expected to last until August or September, adding that the zoo will release the frogs into the wild once it has reproduced enough of them, and found a suitable habitat.
(Liberty Times, translated by Tu Yu-an)
台北市立動物園三年前啟動台北赤蛙保育繁殖計畫,今年圈養的赤蛙族群在產卵量、孵化率大幅提升。
台北赤蛙體型瘦長,屬於小型蛙類,雌性成蛙身長約為四公分,雄性成蛙約為三公分,背部有著像是穿上「吊帶」的特殊條紋。近年因棲地縮減,加上農藥的毒害,野外已很難找到台北赤蛙的蹤跡。
為使台北赤蛙能在野外永續存活,動物園三年前起展開保育繁殖計畫。動物園目前飼有二百四十六隻台北赤蛙。今年三月起,陸續有八隻雌蛙懷孕,其中一隻雌蛙一次就產了一千零一顆卵,突破往年紀錄,孵化率也高達百分之八十九點九。
動物園發言人曹先紹說,台北赤蛙繁殖期預計到八、九月,等到數量足夠並找到適合的野外棲地就會野放。
(自由時報記者張議晨)
A: Artificial intelligence technology has been causing controversy lately: a student was caught cheating with AI to win the grand prize in an art contest. B: That’s so absurd. Does this mean that AI paints better than humans? A: Maybe. Luckily, the student was later disqualified. B: And more absurdly, it’s becoming more and more popular to use AI technology to “resurrect” people. A: Yeah, some netizens even posted videos featuring the late singer CoCo Lee, who was “resurrected” by them with AI software. A: 人工智慧的爭議不斷,有學生違規使用AI參加美術展,甚至贏得首獎。 B: 真誇張,這是不是代表AI比人類還強大? A: 或許吧,幸好得獎資格被取消。 B: 還有更誇張的︰讓死者重現的「AI復活」技術越來越熱門。 A: 對啊,還有網友製作已故歌后李玟「復活」的影片呢! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
It’s no secret that Japanese people have a deep affection for noodles. Like in the rest of East Asia, noodles are an important staple food, second only to rice. Japanese people have enjoyed noodles for over 1,000 years. The first noodles came from China and were introduced around 800 CE. As time passed, noodles in Japan not only became widespread but also developed some unique Japanese characteristics. The three most popular types of noodles in Japan are ramen, soba, and udon. Ramen, typically made from wheat flour, is usually thin and firm. The dough is kneaded and left to
Rice is an essential ingredient in Taiwanese cuisine. Many foods are made of rice, adding more variety to our cooking, such as rice cake, or “gui.” Wagui is made by steaming rice flour batter in a bowl. The term “gui” refers to a type of food made from rice, while “wa” refers to a bowl. The pronunciation of “gui” in Taiwanese Hokkien is similar to the word for “nobility” in Chinese, so it is common for people to prepare various types of gui, including wagui, as offerings to the gods or ancestors,. 米是台灣重要的主食,用米製成的食品十分多元,豐富我們的飲食,如米做成的「粿」。粿的意思是米做成的糕點,碗粿是將在來米漿倒入碗中蒸熟,因而得名。粿因為音同「貴」,因此碗粿等粿食常用作供品祭拜神明和祖先。 nobility (n.) 高貴,高尚;貴族 offering (n.) 供品 While Taiwan may not be
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang As with many aspects of Japanese culture, there is etiquette to follow when you enjoy noodles. To fully experience noodles like a local on your next visit to Japan, consider these simple guidelines. First, be careful where you put your chopsticks. Don’t leave them sticking up in the broth or set them at the side of the bowl. When you have finished eating or if you’re taking a break, place them on the chopstick rest next to the bowl. Also, it is impolite to wave chopsticks around or bring them above mouth-level. Second, don’t take too