![Stylized, colorful text reading "Taiwan: Butterfly Kingdom" with "Kingdom" underlined in bright dots and a butterfly above the "m."](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom_mobile/3032587-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_mobile_full_495.gif 316w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom_mobile/3032587-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_mobile_full_990.gif 316w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom_mobile/3032587-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_mobile_full_1468.gif 316w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom_mobile/3032587-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_mobile_full_1980.gif 316w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom_mobile/3032587-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_mobile_full_2475.gif 316w)
![Stylized text reading "Taiwan: Butterfly Kingdom" underlined with colorful dots, with an illustrated butterfly above the "m."](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom/3019022-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_full_495.gif 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom/3019022-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_full_990.gif 759w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom/3019022-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_full_1468.gif 759w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom/3019022-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_full_1980.gif 759w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/header_kingdom/3019022-1-eng-US/header_kingdom_full_2475.gif 759w)
![Two overlapping circles, one showing a map of Taiwan in relation to China, South Korea, and Japan and one showing a zoomed in view of Taiwan.](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/pic_kingdom_01/3019106-1-eng-US/pic_kingdom_01_full_495.gif 215w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/pic_kingdom_01/3019106-1-eng-US/pic_kingdom_01_full_990.gif 215w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/pic_kingdom_01/3019106-1-eng-US/pic_kingdom_01_full_1468.gif 215w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/pic_kingdom_01/3019106-1-eng-US/pic_kingdom_01_full_1980.gif 215w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/zoology/the-butterfly-kingdom/pic_kingdom_01/3019106-1-eng-US/pic_kingdom_01_full_2475.gif 215w)
Taiwan is a small island, but it's home to more kinds of butterflies than almost any other place in the world. Scientists have discovered about 400 butterfly species. Fifty-five of them are endemic . They live nowhere else in the world!
The reason for this rich variety is Taiwan's diverse habitats — from high mountain grasslands to tropical forests. But these butterflies are under threat. As Taiwan's cities and businesses grow, its butterfly habitats are disappearing.
Image Credits:
This is a collaborative project between the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan (NMNS) to share and exchange their digital resources and extend their outreach to global audiences.Photos: © National Museum of Natural Science Taiwan