>>Hi Terry here are some pics, The country side is almost totaly jungle.
>>


Fantastic pics. There has been so little come out of Taiwan and it's such an interesting country.

Islands are often mysterious because of what they don't have, as well as what they do have. For instance, Schulz lists Taiwan as having four ratsnake species, including E. carinata, E. mandarina, E. porphyracea, and E. taeniura, whereas China proper has fifteen. It makes me wonder why some of the other ratsnake species aren't there? It likely has something to do with the climate and topography.

The Tropic of Cancer divides Taiwan into northern and southern halves, I believe, making the southern half of the island tropical. But we also have to remember that it is extremely mountainous, and the higher elevations probably experience cooler climatic conditions. So, I would imagine that there is a tremendous variety of tropical, subtropical, and probably even temperate vegetation present on the island. A study in habitats could be very interesting. Did you get your pictures on the north end or southern end of the island?

It does seem, from what little I've seen of the island, that it is mostly montane. I wonder if there are any "plains" anywhere? I would try to find some open areas to look for herps, if I were there. Aquatic habitats are often fairly open and could harbor a good number of species.

Good luck in your quests. Feel free to share any more photos you get, of herps or habitats. Thanks for the discussion....

TC

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