Spring and summertime in Taiwan is gestation time for many different species of bats. Bats like to choose secluded areas with access to plenty of food in which to perch during gestation. Taipei Zoo is home to many Japanese house bats — a common sight in big cities — but signs of the much rarer Formosan woolly horseshoe bat can also be found in many places within the zoo. Researchers at the zoo were recently fortunate enough to observe first-hand an infant Formosan woolly horseshoe bat’s development as it went through the process of learning to look after itself independently.
According to the zoo, using an identification ring on its wing, researchers discovered that a particular Formosan woolly horseshoe returns to the same cave within a display area of the zoo every year during springtime to gestate. Mother bats hold their newborn pup in front of their chest and wrap both their wings around it to protect it. They will occasionally allow their pup to hold on by itself and have a go at spreading its wings. During the growth phase, an infant bat will stay close to its mother’s side to learn how to forage for food and pick up general life skills. This continues until the bat is able to look after itself independently; only then will the mother leave the cave.
The zoo said that on one occasion researchers observed that when the mother bat they were monitoring returned to the cave and tried to hug her two-month-old infant, the baby bat began to respond vigorously and emit social interaction sounds, showing that it was beginning to reject its mother and was preparing for independence. The researchers were surprised and delighted to be afforded the rare opportunity to record the interaction between a mother bat and her infant, and the discovery has provided important new observations about the Formosan woolly horseshoe bat.
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo 照片:台北市立動物園提供
Taipei Zoo says that it is currently the mating season for bats, so if you look up at the nighttime skies above cities, you will likely catch a glimpse of bat silhouettes soaring through the sky. If a member of the public comes across a lone infant bat and is unsure what to do, the zoo recommends returning to the spot where one found it at dusk and placing it on a wall on top of a paper towel or a piece of cloth. After a few hours, its mother will return to pick it up and take it home.
(Liberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)
春夏之際是台灣許多種類蝙蝠的育幼期,會選擇食物充足、棲息環境隱密的地方進行育幼。在台北市立動物園有許多都市常見的東亞家蝠,連全台灣紀錄甚少的「台灣大蹄鼻蝠」,在園內多處都可以發現蹤跡,研究人員更幸運紀錄到「台灣大蹄鼻蝠」寶寶學習獨立的行為。
Photo courtesy of Taipei Zoo 照片:台北市立動物園提供
園方指出,研究人員根據翼環辨識,發現有一隻「台灣大蹄鼻蝠」固定在每年春天,會回來動物園展區內的洞穴裡育幼。蝙蝠媽媽育幼時會把蝙蝠寶寶抱在胸前、用雙翼護著牠,偶爾讓蝙蝠寶寶抓著自己嘗試展翼,蝙蝠寶寶成長過程中,會待在媽媽身邊學習覓食和生活技能,直到蝙蝠寶寶獨立後,蝙蝠媽媽才會離開洞穴。
園方透露,有次研究人員觀察到「台灣大蹄鼻蝠」媽媽回洞穴要抱兩個月齡的寶寶時,寶寶反應激烈發出社交叫聲,顯示蝙蝠寶寶出現排斥蝙蝠媽媽的行為,準備開始獨立,意外紀錄到如此難得親子互動行為,讓研究人員興奮不已,幫「台灣大蹄鼻蝠」育幼行為添上一筆重要紀錄。
目前正值蝙蝠的繁殖季,園方表示,都市天空每晚都有蝙蝠們的身影,偶爾民眾撿到蝙蝠寶寶會不知如何處理,其實只要在傍晚時分將蝙蝠寶寶帶回原地野放,先在牆壁貼紙巾或布,再將蝙蝠寶寶放在上面,幾個小時後,蝙蝠媽媽就會將牠帶回去。
(自由時報記者蔡亞樺)
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
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
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)