Taitung County Museum of Natural History Introduction
The Taitung County Natural History Education Museum originated as a shell exhibition hall established in 1985 at the Sanxian Elementary School in Chenggong Township, Taitung County. In 1994, the Provincial Museum built upon this foundation to establish the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum, systematically organizing, displaying, and researching the original shell specimens. The museum currently houses 557 species of shell specimens and has added a mineral display room, collecting marine treasures and minerals from around the world. It combines the functions of natural resources and education, making it the best classroom for understanding the precious marine and mountainous resources hidden along the East Coast. The establishment of the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum proves that the beautiful East Coast has more to offer than just the scenery of the sea, sky, and mountains; the evolutionary evidence from the depths of the ocean is also a miraculous gift from nature. Among the museum's collection, the shells of the Adam's apple snail and the Dragon Palace snail, both regarded as living fossils, are the most noteworthy. The Adam's apple snail belongs to the family of apple snails that appeared 570 million years ago, and a living species was discovered in the late 19th century, thus it is regarded as a living fossil. The Adam's apple snail prefers to eat sponges, possesses a large and beautiful shell, and has extremely high academic value, making it a precious specimen that cannot be missed by shell researchers or collectors. The museum's collection of the Adam's apple snail, purchased in 1997, has a diameter of 10 cm and originates from deep waters in the Bahamas. The Dragon Palace snail is also regarded as a living fossil; during the years 1969-1970, a large number of Dragon Palace snails were discovered in the Diaoyutai Islands waters, causing a "Dragon Palace shell shock," which led to the birth of the Conchology Society of the Republic of China. The museum's collection of Dragon Palace snails has a diameter of 8.5 cm and belongs to the small variety of Dragon Palace snails, originating from the deep waters of Northeast Taiwan. On the third floor of the Taitung County Natural History Education Museum, the mineral display room showcases over 200 specimens of rocks and minerals from the Hualien and Taitung areas, including jade from the Coastal Mountain Range, Taiwanese sapphires, and various gemstones. By contrasting raw stones and carved items, it provides visitors with an understanding of the applications and values of these beautiful stones in craftsmanship. The first raw Taiwanese sapphire was unearthed during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan, discovered by indigenous people in Dulan Mountain; it is a blue translucent stone measuring 70 cm high, 30 cm wide, and 30 cm long, marking the beginning of the treasure-seeking craze in the East Coast Mountain Range. Currently, aside from occasionally finding small raw stones, the original mineral vein has ceased production. The museum's collection of a Taiwanese sapphire raw stone measures 29.5 cm high, 21 cm wide, and 21 cm long, which was purchased in 1998.
