Species information
Scientific name: Buergeria japonica
Japanese name: リュウキュウカジカガエル
Chinese name: 日本樹蛙、日本河鹿蛙
English name: Ryukyu kajika frog
Origin: Tokara Islands, Okinawa Islands, Amami Islands
Ecology and description
Ryukyu kajika frog is not actually found on Japan’s Honshu island but is distributed throughout the Ryukyu Islands south of Kuchinoshima in the Tokara Islands (excluding the Miyako Islands, Kita Daito, and Minami Daito). A 2020 study distinguished populations in the Yaeyama Islands and eastern Taiwan as a new species, Buergeria choui, while populations previously found in western Taiwan were named Buergeria otai.
Ryukyu kajika frog breeds in spring and summer, during which males display a bright yellow coloration and gather on wet roads or near ditches, often resulting in road casualties.
Reference:
Matsui, M. and Tominaga, A. (2020) “A new species of the genus Buergeria from northwestern Taiwan.” Current Herpetology 39(1): 37–59.
Field photographs taken during our tours, with observation dates
During our 【Herping】 and 【Night Birding】 tours in the spring and summer seasons, this species can often be found in ponds or drainage ditches at observation sites, but it is rarely seen in winter.
