Category Archives: Reptiles

Shinobu and I went to Oshima in Munakata today. Lots of nature, but the best find of the day was this 1.5m Japanese Ratsnake (aodaisho). A beautiful creature. I caught it so that we could take a closer look. It … Continue reading →

This river turtle (or terrapin) was huge! I didn’t realise they got as big as this. It was a good 30cm long and obviously heavy — just look at the splash it made when it jumped in. The name “slider” … Continue reading →

Today was very special — I found a Japanese pit viper (mamushi)! Every year I keep my eyes peeled for them, and I once found a dead one, but this is the first time I’ve been lucky enough to find … Continue reading →

A great day for snakes! I spotted the black ratsnake in the first photo at the side of the track and took a couple of photos before it slithered off into the grass. Then, only about 100m further down the … Continue reading →

This very large skink ran across the road and up the bank just in front of me. I followed it patiently and managed to get a couple of reasonable shots. You can see in the third photo that it has … Continue reading →

It was great to find this young ratsnake (aodaisho) in a tree at the side of the path. I’ve seen a couple of other snakes this week, but this is the first I’ve managed to photograph. What a little beauty! … Continue reading →

This little tiger keelback (yamakagashi) was sitting in a bush next to the path and allowed me to get close enough for a few good photos. Reptilia: Colubridae: Rhabdophis tigrinus Tiger Keelback or Japanese Water Snake = yamakagashi Location: In … Continue reading →

The kids spotted these lizards when we were out for a nature walk near one of the local villages. We couldn’t decide whether they were mating or fighting, but I assume that it’s the former. Either way, they were so … Continue reading →

I was surprised at the number of lizards in the garden this year, and then the kids gave me the explanation. The kids next door had collected about 20 from their garden and other places, but their mother didn’t want … Continue reading →