National Parks of Taiwan

The 2020 Taijiang National Park Land Crab Ecological Survey commissioned by the Taijiang National Park Headquarters showed that there are 6 families and 27 species of land crabs in the park; the most representative is the brown land crab (Cardisoma carnifex). This crab is extremely large in size with a vast population. Its breeding season runs from June to November, but the peak breeding season goes from July to August.

The most common road sections where brown land crabs are run over include the Qingcaolun Embankment flood control road and the Anbei Road section near Fort Zeelandia. Qingcaolun’s Menghuan Pond and the surrounding coastal forests are the most important land crab hotspots in Taijiang National Park, with a huge variety of land crab species and vast numbers. The brown land crab population is the largest one in Taiwan and rarely seen in the world.

The Taijiang National Park Headquarters has set up three land crab warning signs along the Qingcaolun embankment flood control road in the park to remind vehicles to watch out for land crabs and to slow down to avoid driving over them. The breeding season of the brown land crabs is just around the corner. Drivers are reminded to slow down when passing by, so that the breeding female crabs can cross the road safely to lay their eggs.