Taitung County Natural History Education Museum Introduction
The Taitung County Museum of Natural History was established in 1985 as a shell exhibition hall at Sanxian Elementary School in Chenggong Township, Taitung County. In 1994, the Provincial Museum used this foundation to establish the Taitung County Museum of Natural History, systematically organizing, displaying, and researching the original shell specimens. It currently has a collection of 557 species of shell specimens and has added a mineral exhibition room, collecting marine treasures and minerals from around the world. The museum combines natural resources with educational functions, making it the best classroom to understand the precious marine and mountainous resources of the East Coast. The establishment of the Taitung County Museum of Natural History proves that the beautiful East Coast holds more than just picturesque sea and mountains; the evolutionary evidence of organisms from the deep ocean is indeed one of nature's most marvelous gifts. Among the museum's shell specimens, the Adam's apple snail and the Dragon Palace snail are the most notable, both regarded as living fossils. The Adam's apple snail belongs to the family of snails that appeared 570 million years ago, and live specimens were discovered in the late 19th century, hence it is considered a living fossil. This snail feeds on sponges and not only possesses a large and beautiful shell but also has high academic value, making it an essential specimen for shell researchers and collectors. The Taitung County Museum of Natural History acquired an Adam's apple snail with a diameter of 10 centimeters from the deep sea of the Bahamas in 1997. The Dragon Palace snail is also viewed as a living fossil. Between 1969 and 1970, a large number of Dragon Palace snails were discovered in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands, leading to the phenomenon known as the "Dragon Palace Shell Shock," which eventually prompted the establishment of the Malacological Society of the Republic of China. The museum's collection includes a Dragon Palace snail with a diameter of 8.5 centimeters, classified as a small Dragon Palace snail, sourced from the deep sea of northeastern Taiwan. On the third floor mineral exhibition room of the Taitung County Museum of Natural History, over 200 specimens of rocks and minerals from the Hualien and Taitung areas are displayed, including soft jade, Taiwan sapphire, and various gemstones from the Coastal Mountain Range, provided in both raw stone and carved forms to help visitors understand the application and value of these beautiful stones in craftsmanship. The Taiwan sapphire raw stone was first discovered during the Japanese colonial period when indigenous people found it on Dulan Mountain, measuring 70 cm high, 30 cm wide, and 30 cm long, officially starting the treasure hunting craze in the East Coastal Mountains. Currently, the original mining vein has ceased production, and only small raw stones can occasionally be found in the East Coastal Mountains. The Taitung County Museum of Natural History's collection includes a Taiwan sapphire raw stone measuring 29.5 cm high, 21 cm wide, and 21 cm long, purchased in 1998.
