Species information
Scientific name: Sus scrofa riukiuanus
Japanese name: リュウキュウイノシシ、ヤマシシ（國頭方言）
Chinese name: 琉球野豬
English name: Ryukyu wild boar
Origin: Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, northern Okinawajima, Ishigaki, and Iriomote.
Ecology and description
Ryukyu wild boar is a subspecies of the wild boar (Sus scrofa) endemic to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. In addition to some islands, Ryukyu wild boar is an introduced species on the Kerama Islands and Miyakojima. Some scholars, based on skeletal morphology, suggest that the populations on Ishigaki and Iriomote be classified as different subspecies.
The body size of Ryukyu wild boar is smaller than the Japanese subspecies, and it is timid in nature, not aggressively attacking humans. In Yambaru, you often see mounds of soil turned over by Ryukyu wild boar along the roadside, as they dig up the soil to feed on earthworms or small animals and the roots and stems of plants.
Field photographs taken during our tours, with observation dates
While driving, there is a chance to encounter wild boars on the road, but the likelihood is low when walking.
