Plestiodon kishinouyei Japanese Name: キシノウエトカゲChinese Name: 岸上石龍子English Name: Kishinoue Giant SkinkOrigin: Miyako Islands, Yaeyama Island The Kishinoue’s Giant Skink is the largest skink in Japan, reaching up to 40 cm in total length. It inhabits open secondary forests. The species name kishinouyei honors the Japanese ichthyologist Kamakichi Kishinouye.
Author: YambaruWanyu
Sakishima Ground Skink
Scincella boettgeri Japanese Name: サキシマスベトカゲChinese Name: 先島滑蜥English Name: Sakishima Ground SkinkOrigin: Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands (excluding Yonagunijima) This small lizard inhabits the forest floor and is highly secretive, making it difficult to observe in the wild.
Iwasaki’s Slug Snake
Pareas iwasakii Japanese name: イワサキセダカヘビChinese name: 岩崎鈍頭蛇English name: Iwasaki’s Slug SnakeOrigin: Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island This is the only species of the genus Pareas found in Japan. It occurs on Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands but is rarely seen due to its low population density. Its primary diet consists of snails. The species name iwasakii honors… Continue reading Iwasaki’s Slug Snake
Pryer’s Keelback Snake
Hebius pryeri Japanese name: ガラスヒバァChinese name: 沖繩腹鍊蛇English name: Pryer’s Keelback SnakeOrigin: Okinawa Islands, Amami Islands Pryer’s Keelback Snake primarily feeds on frogs. It is often found near streams, irrigation channels, and rice paddies, and is commonly seen on roads during or after rain, where it scavenges road-killed frogs. Unfortunately, this behavior makes it vulnerable to… Continue reading Pryer’s Keelback Snake
Ryukyu Green Snake
Cyclophiops semicarinatus Japanese name: リュウキュウアオヘビChinese name: 琉球青蛇English name: Ryukyu Green SnakeOrigin: Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, Takarajima and Kodakarajima (Tokara Islands) The Ryukyu Green Snake grows to about 70–80 cm in length. Compared to the bright green coloration of the green snake found in Mainland China and Taiwan (Cyclophiops major), this species usually appears deep green… Continue reading Ryukyu Green Snake
Yaeyama Yellow-margined Box Turtle
Cuora flavomarginata evelynae Japanese Name: ヤエヤマセマルハコガメChinese Name: 八重山食蛇龜English Name: Yaeyama Yellow-margined Box TurtleOrigin: Ishigaki, Iriomote The Yaeyama Yellow-margined Box Turtle is a subspecies of the Yellow-margined Box Turtle, native to the Yaeyama Islands. Its population is declining due to habitat destruction and illegal collection. Since the 1970s, this species has also been found on Okinawa… Continue reading Yaeyama Yellow-margined Box Turtle
Amami Jay
Garrulus lidthi Japanese Name: ルリカケスChinese Name: 琉球松鴉English Name: Amami JayOrigin: Amami Oshima, Kakeromajima, Ukejima The Amami Jay, with its striking blue and reddish-brown plumage, is a member of the crow family and a nationally designated natural monument of Japan. It is also the prefectural bird of Kagoshima. In the past, overhunting led to a decline… Continue reading Amami Jay
Habu
Protobothrops flavoviridis Japanese Name: ハブChinese Name: 波布、黄綠龜殼花English Name: HabuOrigin: Some islands of the Okinawa Islands and Amami Islands The Habu is undoubtedly one of Japan’s most beautiful and fascinating snakes, yet it is also one of the most venomous and dangerous. It is found on certain islands of the Okinawa and Amami Islands, with its… Continue reading Habu
Okinawa Narrow-mouthed Frog
Microhyla okinavensis Japanese Name: ヒメアマガエルChinese Name: 沖繩小雨蛙、沖繩飾紋姬蛙English Name: Okinawa Narrow-mouthed FrogOrigin: Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, Miyako Islands The Okinawa Narrow-mouthed Frog, originally classified under the South Asian species M. ornata, was later found through phylogenetic studies in 2005 to be separate from Taiwan’s population, which was classified as M. fissipes. The Ryukyu Islands population was… Continue reading Okinawa Narrow-mouthed Frog
Ryukyu Stream Treefrog
Buergeria japonica Japanese Name: リュウキュウカジカガエルChinese Name: 日本溪樹蛙、日本樹蛙English Name: Ryukyu Stream TreefrogOrigin: Tokara Islands, Okinawa Islands, Amami Islands The Ryukyu Stream Treefrog is not found in Honshu, Japan, but is distributed across the Ryukyu Islands, south of Kuchi-no-shima in the Tokara Islands (excluding the Miyako Islands, North Daito Island, and South Daito Island). A 2020 study… Continue reading Ryukyu Stream Treefrog