Did you know there are species of animals that cannot be found outside of Japan? It makes sense, being that Japan is an island nation, but I hadn't given it much thought before.
Japanese Macaque
The Japanese Macaque is the only monkey species in Japan. They are often referred to as snow monkeys because they can be found in snowy places. They can be found throughout Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The most famous place to see them is in the Snow Monkey Park in Jigokudani in Nagano Prefecture. I visited this Monkey Park in December 2017.
Another place I saw monkeys in Japan was when I was hiking in Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine on the island of Yakushima, Kyushu Prefecture.
Monkeys are not my favorite animals. I think they are a little scary.
Shima Enaga
These small birds are found only in Hokkaido. Even though I lived there for several years, I don't think I saw any living birds, but I may have seen them in a zoo or stuffed ones in a museum. One of the places they are known to be is in Maruyama Park in Sapporo.
Tanuki
The tanuki look similar to the raccoon, but are not close relatives. Tanuki are in the animal family related to wolves, foxes, and domestic dogs, while the common raccoon found in the US, is in the animal family with weasels, badgers, and otters. Tanuki statues, as well as the animal itself, can be found all over Japan.
I have seen the live animals in the Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido.
And I see statues and signs of them pretty much everywhere.
Japanese Serow
This animal was almost hunted to extinction before it was declared a Special National Monument in 1955. The population of the Japanese serow has increased dramatically since then is and now designated "least concern". I read that this goat-antelope animal is considered a symbol of Japan. It is native to central and northern Honshu and small areas of Skikou and Kyushu, living in mountainous and subalpine forests and grasslands.
Iromote Cat
The Iromote Cat is a subspecies of leopard and is found exclusively on the island of Iriomote in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture. It is said to be a little larger than a pet cat, with mostly dark grey or light brown fur, and amber eyes. It is critically endangered with only about 100 remaining in the wild. Since its official discovery in 1967, it has been protected. It has been designated a national living discovery and is the mascot of Iriomote Island. While it is rare to see one, there are stone statues of them on Iriomote Island.
6 comments:
I love these animals, most of them very rare.
I hope they will survive the impact of humans and global warming.
It was the first time for me to learn about the Shima Enaga - they are very cute.
Your favorite Okinawa is home to the ”Yanbarukuina“, which only inhabits Okinawa.😊
These are all fascinating and beautiful. I especially love the monkeys but would rather see photos or videos than experience them personally! Rick has a tanuki statue from his time in Japan. The real thing is cuter. And I love those birds!
I agree about the monkeys. I was in Nikko, walking in a tree-lined semi-residential area, hiking to a waterfall. And up ahead I saw a bunch of monkeys - some walking on the road, a lot up in the trees. There was no way for me to take a different path. The monkeys all started screaming. So the only thing I could do was start yelling back at them. They stayed on their side of the road and kept walking. It was a little tense for a while.
How cool that you have seen most of these animals! I especially love the little snowball birds.
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