The land crab species in the coastal forests of Kenting National Park rank among the top habitats in the world.
Seventeen new species of land crabs have been discovered and named in Kenting. Still, they also face habitat destruction by humans, attacks from invasive species like yellow crazy ants, and the risk of mother crabs being killed while crossing the road to release their young by the seaside, we have written about this extensively on our blog before.
This year, in collaboration with relevant government and non-governmental organizations, the Kenting National Park Management Office is holding the “World-Class Land Crabs of Kenting” special exhibition at the Visitor Center for the first time. It aims to guide visitors in exploring the beauty and sorrow of land crabs in Kenting.
According to Chen Xuanwu 陳玄武, the Chief Education Officer of the Kenting National Park Management Office, 17 land crab species have been discovered and named in Kenting, making it the “type locality” for these new species.
This has established the unparalleled and irreplaceable importance of Kenting National Park in the academic research of land crabs. Land crabs inhabit river mouths or coastal forests that are not easily accessible to visitors.
Certain species can only be found in specific environments or at specific times. These species are less accessible to the general public, and most people are unfamiliar with their names.
He said that through years of commissioned research and investigation by the Kenting National Park Management Office, numerous scholars have devoted substantial efforts to studying and researching these new species, making their findings available to the public.
This year, Dr. Li Zhengzhang 李政璋, who has long been researching land crabs in Kenting, was specially invited to present the “birth” of land crabs in Kenting through visuals and text.
This helps visitors understand the ecology of land crabs better and raises awareness about the crises they face and the conservation efforts and importance of land crab conservation in Kenting National Park.
During the summer and autumn months on the Hengchun Peninsula, mother crabs journey from land to the coastal area to release their offspring on nights when the moon is full. Dr. Li Zhengzhang, with years of field research, has accumulated a wealth of footage capturing the moments when land crabs release their young.
The special exhibition also showcases recorded videos of aggressive circular-thoracic crabs, prominently-patterned square-shaped crabs, thick-shaped crabs, and Oshima crabs descending to the sea to release their offspring.
The journey of mother crabs to release their young is filled with numerous difficulties, especially due to their habitats being fragmented by roads, making roadkill the most significant threat. This serves as a reminder to pedestrians to reduce speed and exercise caution when passing through hotspots indicated by traffic signs.
Lin Wenhe 林文和, the director of the Kenting National Park Management Office, stated that the breeding season for land crabs is approaching.
This year, in addition to implementing the usual traffic management measures and environmental education activities along the Banana Bay section of Provincial Highway 26, the Kenting National Park Management Office has also formed alliances and signed conservation declarations with relevant land crab conservation scholars and environmental organizations.
The 3rd Regional Directorate of the Taiwan Area National Expressway Engineering Bureau has also set up ecological corridors at land crab hotspots along Provincial Highway 26 to conduct experiments.
These crab conservation activities and measures rely on the collective participation and cooperation of the public to ensure the thriving ecology of land crabs on the Hengchun Peninsula.