Living National Treasures: Japan

Checklists of Endemics

Mammals found exclusively in Japan include the Japanese Macaque (Primate Info Net), the Japanese Serow (Ultimate Ungulate), the Iriomote Cat (Wikipedia), the Japanese Badger (Tobe Zoological Park), the Japanese Weasel (Phyllon), the Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel (Asa Zoo), the Japanese Dwarf Flying Squirrel (Kumamoto Eco), and the Bonin Flying Fox (Fruit Bat World). Endemic genera include the Amami Rabbit (EDGE), the Japanese Dormouse (EDGE), the Ryukyu Long-tailed Giant Rat (Univ. Ryukyus), the Ryukyu Spiny Rat (Univ. Ryukyus), True’s Shrew Mole (Sendai Science Museum), and the Japanese Shrew Mole (Sendai Science Museum).

Birds unique to Japan include the Okinawan Woodpecker (Univ. Ryukyus), the Bonin White-eye (Oriental Bird Images), the Amami Jay (ARKive), the Short-tailed Albatross (ARKive), the Okinawa Rail (ARKive), the Copper Pheasant (ARKive), the Izu Thrush (Oriental Bird Images), Ijima’s Leaf Warbler (Oriental Bird Images), the Ryukyu Robin (Univ. Ryukyus), the Japanese Wagtail (IBC), the Japanese Yellow Bunting (avesphoto.com), the Japanese Woodpecker (IBC), and the Amami Woodcock (IBC).

Reptiles found only in Japan include the Yaku Gecko (Japanese Reptiles), the Ryukyu Ground Gecko (Japanese Reptiles), the Green Grass Lizard (Japanese Reptiles), the Ryukyu Short-legged Skink (Japanese Reptiles), Kishinoue’s Giant Skink (Japanese Reptiles), the Hyan Coral Snake (Japanese Reptiles), the Tsushima Mamushi (Japanese Reptiles), the Himehabu (Japanese Reptiles), the Tokarahabu (Japanese Reptiles), the Amami Odd-scaled Snake (ARKive), Pryer’s Keelback (Japanese Reptiles), the Ryukyu Green Snake (Japanese Reptiles), and the Japanese Pond Turtle (Japanese Reptiles).

Amphibians restricted to Japan include the Japanese Giant Salamander (ARKive), the Oki Salamander (AmphibiaWeb), the Japanese Clawed Salamander (Naturalis), the Japanese Fire-bellied Newt (rieo.net/amph), the Japanese Stream Toad (AmphibiaWeb), Hallowell’s Tree Frog (rieo.net/amph), the Okinawa Rice Frog (Groveling things), Namie’s Frog (Univ. Ryukyus), the Amami Tip-nosed Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Kajika Frog (rieo.net/amph), and the Forest Green Tree Frog (AmphibiaWeb).

Endemic freshwater fish genera include Biwia (FishBase), Hemigrammocypris (fishing-forum.org), and Ischikauia (UODAS). Other endemic freshwater fish include the Delicate Loach (aquatotto.com), the Gigi Catfish Pseudobagrus (or Tachysurus) nudiceps (PlanetCatfish), the Lake Biwa Catfish (FishBase), the Tokyo Bitterling (UODAS), a goby Chaenogobius isaza (UODAS), and a sculpin Cottus reinii (UODAS). Endemic marine fish include the Izu Stingray (Izuzuki Diver), Shiho’s Seahorse (fishpix), the Orange Pipefish (fishpix), the Japanese Dragonet (eol), the Whitebar Anthias (Izuku Diver), Kato’s Fairy Wrasse (Izuzuki Diver), the Izu Islands Triplefin (Izuzuki Diver), Takeuchi's Angelfish (eol), Tanaka's Dottyback (fishpix), a parrotfish Scarus obishime (eol), and a soldierfish Myripristis kochiensis (fishpix).

Butterflies known solely from Japan include the Gifu Swallowtail (Red Data Book Yamaguchi), the Fujisan Green Hairstreak (ze-ph.sakura.ne.jp), and the Jezo Green Hairstreak (Butterflies of Okutama). Other endemic insects include the Genji Firefly (Natural-Japan.net), a relict dragonfly Epiophlebia superstes (Odonata of Kobe), a cicada Platypleura albivannata (Univ. Ryukyus), a tiger beetle Cicindela bonina (hanmyou), and the Jambar Long-armed Beetle (Univ. Ryukyus). Other endemic invertebrates include a land crab Geothelphusa tenuimana (Univ. Ryukyus), Semisulcospira freshwater snails (LBERI), a land snail Hirasea operculina (FFPRI), a coral Coscinaraea hahazimaensis (ARKive), the sea slugs Noumea subnivalis (Sea Slug Forum) and Melibe minuta (Sea Slug Forum), and endemic families of earthworms Biwadrilidae (p. 5 of Opuscula Zoologica pdf file) and comb jellies Lobatolampeidae (Toba Aquarium).

Among nearly 2000 endemic vascular plant species are three families unique to Japan: Pteridophyllaceae (Botanic Garden), Glaucidiaceae (World Natural Heritage), and the Japanese Umbrella Pine (Univ. Arkansas). Endemic genera include the Nippon Daisy (Plant Kaleidoscope), the Satake Palm (PACSOA), the Japanese Forest Grass (BBC), the Asunaro (Wikipedia), Ranzania (wildplants.sakura.ne.jp), Ancistrocarya (hanamist.sakura.ne.jp), Dendrocacalia (plantdb.ipc.miyakyo-u.ac.jp), Tripetaleia (alpine-plants-jp.com), Perillula (plantdb.ipc.miyakyo-u.ac.jp), Japonolirion (alpine-plants-jp.com), Anemonopsis (alpine-plants-jp.com), Boninia (plantdb.ipc.miyakyo-u.ac.jp), and Chamaele (Botanic Garden).

Japan is its own biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots). Japan has exceptional marine endemism and portions of the country are included in the Southern Japan, Taiwan and Southern China coral reef hotspot (Reef Guardian pdf file). Lake Biwa (LBERI) is one ot the world's most ancient lakes and has many unique species.