懂牠的需求？外來陸龜飼養與繁殖知識的在地發展

The Needs of Exotic Tortoises: The Divergent Paths of Local Care and Breeding Knowledge

葉貞沂(Ye, Jhen-Yi)

《科技醫療與社會》 31期 (2020/10) Pp. 157-181

https://doi.org/10.6464/TJSSTM.202010_(31).0005

摘要

陸龜科動物在臺灣是外來的保育類動物。臺灣沒有原生種陸龜，飼養者如何獲得養殖知識？本研究紀要透過資料蒐集與深度訪談臺灣的陸龜飼養者與政府部門相關人員，探討陸龜知識在地化的來龍去脈。研究發現，臺灣陸龜飼養者的照養知識，是在缺乏專家協助的社會脈絡下，由飼養者社群密集交流而發展出的知識技術。飼養者將國外專家知識轉換為數據，並將這些數據資訊「實驗」於所飼養的個體身上。這些實驗型飼養者結合國外知識與在地飼養經驗，發展出養活與養賺兩類知識。養活知識具有社群性特質，是飼養者彼此交換嘗試錯誤的經驗，逐漸累積成文字化的飼養通則；養賺知識則是尚未標準化的經驗知識，僅在飼養者間結點式交流，成為受訪者口中的商業機密。這群積極實驗的飼養者，一方面挑戰常民和科學家的分類，顯示理解動物的生物性往往需要經驗累積；另一方面，也凸顯出知識的性質可能受經濟理性影響，當知識從社群性轉變為經濟性，飼養知識的內涵和交流方式也發生轉變。

關鍵字

陸龜 ； 實驗寵物 ； 地方知識 ； 脈絡性技術

並列摘要

This study explains how owners of foreign tortoises, which are exotic and endangered species in Taiwan, have learned to breed and care for these animals. This study used in-depth interviews with stakeholders such as keepers(pet owners), breeders, and civil servants to examine the development of knowledge regarding tortoises in Taiwan. This study found that in the early 1990s, tortoise keepers and breeders treated their tortoises as ＂experimental pets＂ due to the lack of local academic and veterinary experts. Owners had to accumulate their own understandings of the needs of various kinds of tortoises through trial and error. As part of this process of experimentation, owners not only translated foreign articles and reports but also developed their own feeding and breeding tricks. Local breeders and keepers developed two very different primary knowledges, to fit different but related purposes: namely, to keep the animals alive and to captive-breed them as an investment. Whether these knowledges could be used for profit shaped the characteristics and spread of these practices. The keeper community openly accumulated and shared their tortoise care knowledge, while the captive breeders were secretive and only shared their knowledge with acquaintances. The accumulation and transition of local knowledge on tortoises both responded and led to the market expansion of these animals in Taiwan.

並列關鍵字

tortoise ； experimental pets ； local knowledge ； contextual technology

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