Best books for Taiwan nature.

I’m often asked, but unfortunately have to give the answer ‘No’ to the question “Is there one book that covers all of Taiwan’s animals?” Hope that changes soon.

For a good introduction I recommend the series of small pocket field guides published by the Wild Bird Society and the Butterfly Society that cover Birds , Butterflies, Beetles, Reptiles, Frogs,  Dragonflies, Crabs, Trees, and Flowers. Only the Bird one is English-only, the others are in Chinese but have very informative pictures and English/Scientific names. For Mammals I like Taiwan Mammals.

Birders in Taipei may like the English-language Birdwatcher’s Guide to the the Taipei Region. Of course I'm looking forward to the Taiwan-only guide from the publishers of the excellent (if bulky)  Birds of East Asia (Helm Field Guides).

If I had to choose one book for plants (of all sorts) commonly seen in Taiwan I would choose A Field Guide to Plants in Rural Community. Many other more good specialized guides available.

If needing a guide to a good range of Taiwan insects it is hard to go wrong with these two volumes. Several good books for butterflies, the most comprehensive coverage is in Butterflies of Taiwan.

And lastly for an inspiring introduction to Taiwan natural world, it is a delight to watch the DVD Typhoon Island.