Japan
Mammals
found
exclusively in Japan include the Japanese Macaque (ARKive
WM),
the Japanese Serow (caprinae
world), the Japanese Badger (iNaturalist),
the Japanese Weasel (iNaturalist),
the Japanese Raccoon Dog (iNaturalist),
the Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel (Takao
Museum) (iNaturalist),
the Japanese Flying Squirrel (Kumamoto
Eco WM), the Japanese Squirrel (iNaturalist),
Yaeyama Horseshoe Bat (fruitbat.jp),
and the Bonin Flying Fox (Fruit
Bat World), the Lesser Ryukyu White-toothed Shrew (Wildlife
Okinawa), and the Japanese Water
Shrew (pref.kyoto.jp).
Endemic genera include the Amami Rabbit (iNaturalist),
the Japanese Dormouse (glirarium.org),
the Ryukyu Islands Tree Rat (IUCN),
the Okinawa Spiny Rat (EDGE),
the Japanese Mountain Mole (Semantic
Scholar) (ASM
MDD), the Lesser Japanese Shrew Mole (RDB
Ehime), and the Greater Japanese Shrew Mole (Takao
Museum).
Birds unique to Japan include the Okinawa Woodpecker (eBird),
the Bonin White-eye (eBird),
the Amami Jay (eBird),
the Short-tailed Albatross (ARKive
WM),
the Okinawa Rail (eBird),
the
Copper Pheasant (eBird),
the Green Pheasant (birdfinding.info),
the Izu Thrush (eBird),
the Izu Tit (eBird),
Ijima’s Leaf Warbler (eBird),
the Ryukyu Robin (eBird),
the Ryukyu Minivet (eBird),
the Ryukyu Flycatcher (eBird),
the Yellow Bunting (avesphoto.com), the Ryukyu Green
Pigeon (Cornell),
and the Amami Woodcock (eBird).
Reptiles
found only in Japan include the Yaku Gecko (iNaturalist),
the Tokashiki Ground Gecko (IUCN),
the Green Grass Lizard (iNaturalist),
the Ryukyu Short-legged Skink (iNaturalist),
Kishinoue’s Giant Skink (IUCN),
the Japanese Coral Snake (Okinawa
Nature Photography), the Tokara Habu (Reptile
Database), the Tsushima Mamushi (iNaturalist),
the Himehabu (iNaturalist),
the Amami Odd-scaled Snake (ARKive
WM),
Iwasaki's Slug Snake (Wildlife
Okinawa), Pryer’s Keelback (Wildlife
Okinawa),
Pfeffer's Reed Snake (IUCN),
the Ryukyu Green Snake (iNaturalist),
the Ryukyu Odd-tooth Snake (iNaturalist),
Kikuzato’s Stream Snake (twitter
WM),
the Japanese Pond Turtle (iNaturalist),
and the Ryukyu Black-breasted Leaf Turtle (iNaturalist),
.
Amphibians restricted to Japan include the Japanese Giant Salamander (ARKive
WM),
the Oki Salamander (IUCN),
the Japanese Clawed Salamander (AmphibiaWeb),
the
Japanese Fire-bellied Newt (CalPhotos),
the
Japanese Stream Toad (AmphibiaWeb),
Hallowell’s Tree Frog (Japanese
Frogs),
the
Okinawa Rice Frog (iNaturalist),
Namie’s
Frog (iNaturalist),
the Amami Oshima Frog (Okinawa
Nature Photography),
Ishikawa's
Frog (ARKive
WM),
the
Kajika Frog (Japanese
Frogs), and the Forest Green
Tree Frog (iNaturalist).
Endemic freshwater fish genera include the Tokyo Bitterling Pseudorhodeus (tansuigyo.net),
the Golden Venus Chub
Hemigrammocypris
(IUCN),
the Lakeweed Chub Ischikauia
(memobird),
and the Ishikawa Icefish Neosalangichthys
(tansuigyo.net).
Other endemic freshwater fish include the Kunimasu Trout (Wikipedia),
the
Japanese Lates (Wikipedia),
the
Secret Loach (FIMSEA),
the Kissing Loach (IUCN),
the Japanese Eight-barbeled Loach (iNaturalist),
the
Lake Biwa Catfish (FishBase),
the Stumpy Bullhead (ARKive
WM),
the Northern Medaka (FishBase),
the Biwa Gudgeon (IUCN),
the gobies Rhinogobius
biwaensis (IUCN)
and Luciogobius fonticola
(ResearchGate), a sleeper Odontobutis hikimius (ffish.asia)
the Biwa Sculpin
(tansuigyo.net), the Kakure Ninespine Stickleback (PLAZI), and the Japanese Brook Lamprey (ZooKeys).
Endemic marine fish include the Japanese Wedgefish (Species New to Science), the Cinder Cloudy Catshark (tonysharks.com), the Orange Pipefish (Izuzuki
Diver),
the
Whitebar Anthias (Izuzuki
Diver), the Izu Islands
Triplefin (Izuzuki
Diver), Takeuchi's Angelfish (FishBase),
the
Wrought
Iron Butterflyfish (Churaumi),
the Yellowtail Parrotfish
(FishBase),
the Paradise Pencil Wrasse (ResearchGate), a puffer Takifugu
chrysops (colorbeach.exblog.jp), a cardinalfish Siphamia senoui
(okinawa-zukan.com
WM),
the Moonstone Chromis (ResearchGate),
the Ogasawara Leaping Blenny (ZooChat), the Izu Velvetfish (diving.tank.jp), and a soldierfish Myripristis
kochiensis (Reef
Life Survey).
Butterflies known solely from Japan include the Japanese Luehdorfia (iNaturalist),
the Japanese Treebrown (iNaturalist),
the Honshu White Admiral (iNaturalist),
the Fujisan Green Hairstreak (Aomori's
Butterflies),
the Ogasawara Blue (ikilog.biodic.go.jp), the Golden
Hairstreak
(Aomori's
Butterflies), the Jezo Green Hairstreak (Field),
and a skipper Parnara
ogasawarensis (chou-album.sakura.ne.jp).
Endemic moths include the Japanese Owl Moth (Japanese
Moths), Smerinthus tokyonis
(iNaturalist),
and Loepa sakaei (iNaturalist).
Other endemic insects include the Genji Firefly (Yoshihito Furukawa), the dragonflies Epiophlebia superstes (Odonata of Kobe) and Boninthemis insularis (Odonata on Stamps), a cicada Platypleura yayeyamana (Cicadae in Japan), a grasshopper Epacromius japonicus (Ehime Red Data Book), a katydid Psyrana amaiensis (iNaturalist), a tiger beetle Cicindela bonina (tigerbeetle.world.coocan.jp), the ground beetles Carabus insulicola (iNaturalist) and Ishikawatrechus intermedius (Living With Insects), a riffle beetle Podonychus gyobu (GBIF), the longhorn beetles Rosalia batesi (iNaturalist) and Anoplophora oshimana (iNaturalist), the stag beetles Prismognathus tokui (A.L.F.) and Neolucanus okinawanus (biodiversity.okinawa), the Yanbaru Long-armed Beetle (IUCN), an ant Camponotus hemichlaena (iNaturalist), a bumblebee Bombus honshuensis (Hanamaru Project), a mantis Acromantis satsumensis (iNaturalist), a stick insect Entoria miyakoensis (iNaturalist), and the mayfly family Dipteromimidae (iNaturalist).
Endemic molluscs include the Japanese Flapjack Octopus (Wikipedia), Semisulcospira freshwater snails (Bishogai), a freshwater mussel Obovalis omiensis (pref.kyoto.jp), and several land snails: Ezohelix gainesi (EurekAlert!), Hirasea operculina (Ogasawara), Euhadra peliomphala (iNaturalist), Japonia sadoensis (iNaturalist), and Plectotropis vulgivaga (iNaturalist). Other endemic invertebrates include a land crab Geothelphusa tenuimana (Wildlife Okinawa), a freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium shokitai (ffish.asia), a crayfish Cambaroides japonicus (iNaturalist), the spiders Coelotes eharai (Ehime Red Data Book) and Mendoza ibarakiensis (pontaxx.blog), the Ryukyu Rabbit Tick (twitter), the millipedes Parafontaria laminata (Royal Soc.) and Spirobolus akamma (ResearchGate), a cave-dwelling centipede Arrup akiyoshiensis (ZooKeys), a land planarian Bipalium kisoense (iNaturalist), an earthworm Metaphire sieboldi (IUCN), a sea slug Melibe minuta (Sea Slug Forum WM), and the corals Porites okinawensis (Corals of the World) and Sympodium subtilis (GBIF).
Endemic families
include earthworms Biwadrilidae (fig. 1 on p. 5 of Opuscula
Zoologica pdf),
the amphipods Luciobliviidae (PLAZI)
and Protodulichiidae (GBIF),
copepods Protolatiremidae (p. 58 of HUSCAP
pdf), harvestmen Nippononychidae (iNaturalist),
a
tardigrade Thermozodiidae (BioOne),
a sea slug Showajidaiidae (iNaturalist)
(ResearchGate),
the bryozoans Labiostomellidae (figs. D-E at Google
Books) and Pseudolepraliidae (bryozoa.net),
a hydrothermal vent inhabiting barnacle Probathylepadidae (GBIF),
a sea anemone Spongiactinidae (Actiniaria.com),
a ribbon worm Eopilididae (GBIF),
and a
hemichordate Atubaridae (J-STAGE
pdf) (kahaku.go.jp).
Vascular plants unique to Japan include the Star Magnolia (IUCN),
Chrysanthemum japonense
(iNaturalist),
the Amami Maple (World
Plants), Asarum
monodoriflorum (iNaturalist),
the Sasanqua Camellia (iNaturalist),
Ficus boninsimae
(iNaturalist),
the Golden-rayed Lily (iNaturalist),
Rhododendron kaempferi
(iNaturalist),
the Oshima Cherry (iNaturalist),
a crabapple Malus
tschonoskii (Asian
Flora WM), Koyama's Spruce (RBGE),
the Japanese Douglas Fir (RBGE),
the Garden Weigela (iNaturalist),
and the organism with the largest known genome, Paris japonica (POWO).
Endemic genera include the Nippon Daisy (iNaturalist), the Satake Palm (PACSOA), the Japanese Forest Grass (iNaturalist), the Asunaro (Wikipedia), Dendrocacalia (ogasawara-syokubutusi), Ranzania (wildplants.sakura.ne.jp), Ancistrocarya (hanamist.sakura.ne.jp), Glaucidium (iNaturalist), Pteridophyllum (botanic.jp), Perillula (Masao Takeno), Japonolirion (Hokkaido Univ.), Miricacalia (Japanese Wild Flowers), Anemonopsis (alpine-plants-jp.com), Relictithismia (Springer), Apodicarpum (arakawasaitama.com), Comospermum (Asian Flora WM), and Chamaele (botanic.jp). The Japanese Umbrella Pine (ARKive WM) (iNaturalist) is the sole member of the endemic family Sciadopityaceae.
Endemic
fungi include Boninogaster
phalloides (IUCN WM),
Rhizopogon togasawarensis
(IUCN WM),
and Echinodontium
japonicum (IUCN WM).
Endemic lichens include Anisomeridium
yoshimurae (Chiba
Pref. Museum) and Gyalidea
izuensis (ResearchGate).
Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Cavicularia densa (ous.ac.jp)
and Riccia oryzicola
(kokemusuzukan.jimdofree)
and the mosses Rhachithecium
nipponicum (p. 1 of J-STAGE
pdf) and Gollania
splendens (GBIF).
Endemic marine algae include Sargassum
spathulophyllum (TBG)
and Setoutiphycus
delamareoides (ResearchGate).
Japan is its own biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM).
Japan has exceptional marine endemism and portions
of the
country
are included in the Southern Japan, Taiwan and Southern China coral
reef hotspot (Columbia
Univ. WM pdf). Lake Biwa (LBM
WM)
(ResearchGate
pdf) is one ot the world's most ancient lakes and has many unique
species.