Japanese Macaque ニホンザル
Japanese macaques area type of monkey native toJapan. They live in troops of 2030 monkeys led by a dominantmale. Females macaques stayin the same troop their entire
life, but males leave the troop

Did you know?
They are also known as snowmonkeys and some troops in the
Nagano mountains have been
observed bathing in natural hot
springs to keep warm in the winter!

Glossary
Primate: a type of mammal
including all monkeys, apes,
and lemurs. Humans areprimates.
Omnivore: an animal thateats both plants and meat.

before they are adults. Malemacaques

spend

most

of

their time on the ground. The
dominant male is responsible
By Zambog, CC BY-SA 2.0.

for protecting the troop frompredators, such as wolves and wild dogs, and from other macaque troops.
Females spend most of their time in trees. When feeding or moving location,
the monkeys will call to each other to keep the troop together.

Habitat
The Japanese macaque is found on all themain islands, except Hokkaido. They live
further north than any other non-humanprimate in the world. The habitat of thesemonkeys varies. In the far north of Honshu

Appearance

they can be found in cool, temperate forests

Japanese macaques have thick, brownish

tropical forests.

grey fur that keeps them warm during thewinter. They have pink faces and bottoms.
Their faces become redder when it is mating
season. They have a short, stumpy tail. This
helps to prevent heat loss during the cold
weather. Their average height is 57cm formales and 52cm for females.

and in the south of Kyushu they live in sub-Did you know?
They are excellent
swimmers, being able
to swim over half akilometre.

Diet
Japanese macaques are omnivores and are not picky eaters! They mainly eat
fruits, seeds, leaves and flowers, but are also known to enjoy fungi, crabs,
insects and bird eggs.

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GIANT SPIDER CRAB タカアシガニ
Japanese giant spider
crabs may look likesomething

from

film,

these

but

a

horrormassivecrustaceans, which live an
average of 100 years, aren’t

Did you know?
They are part of a family of so-called
decorator crabs that adorn theirshells with sponges, anemones andother items in order to hide frompredators.

going to do you any harm. They
may be the largest crustacean

Glossary
Crustacean: a type of animal,
most of which live in water,that has a hard outer shelland many legs, such as crabs,
lobsters and shrimps.
Carapace: a hard upper shell.
Omnivore: an animal thateats both plants and meat.

on Earth, but they begin life
tiny; females produce around
By Tsarli at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

1 million eggs that are each
only

8mm

across.

Many

HabitatJapanese people enjoy eating the crab and they are considered a delicacy.

Japanese spider crabs prefer the cold water

However, it is forbidden to fish for them during their breeding season, whichof deep ocean, living at depths between

lasts from January to April, in order to conserve their numbers.

50m to 500m. They can be found mainlyon the Pacific side of Japan, off the coastof Honshu, and have been found as far

Appearance
As its name suggests, this crab resembles aspider - albeit one with 10 legs! It spans almost
4 metres from the tip of one front claw to theother and has a mottled orange carapace
covered with spines, helping it blend in withthe ocean floor.

south as Taiwan. They are usually foundDid you know?

hiding in vents and holes on the seabed intemperatures of around 10 degrees Celsius.

Their Japanesename, takaashigani,translates as tall leg
crab.

Diet
Giant Spider crabs are omnivores. As they are slow moving, they prefer toscavenge than hunt, feeding mainly on dead fish and plant matter found on
the sea floor.

© The Japan Society (2023) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

HOKKAIDO BROWN BEAR エゾヒグマ
Hokkaido brown bearare large bears which arenative to Japan. They are also
known as Ussuri brown bears
or Ezo brown bears. There
are also black bears in Japan
which are found on Honshu
andShikoku,but

Glossary

Did you know?
There is evidence to suggestthat Hokkaido brown bears
are moving towards aherbivorous, or vegetarian,
diet as a result of humandevelopment.

thesebrown bears are much larger.

Indigenous: people existing in aland from the earliest times.
Elongated: having a shape much
longer than it is wide.
Tuber: thick part of a plant’s
underground stem.
Omnivore: an animal that eatsboth plants and meat.

Although most bears tend
By bryan... - Flickr, CC BY 2.0.

to be shy and avoid people,
these bears have been known

to attack humans if panicked. The brown bears are worshipped by the Ainu,
the indigenous people from northern Japan.

Habitat
Hokkaido brown bears are, as their namesuggests, found in Japan’s northern islandof Hokkaido. Their habitat includes forests,
mountainous regions and coastal areas.

Appearance
They have an elongated skull and the bears
usually weigh between 200-400kg, however
they can weigh even more! The males canbe twice as heavy as the females. They havelong, sharp claws that can inflict severe
wounds and which the bears use to dig up
roots and tubers to eat.

During the winter they den in excavated

Did you know?
They are mainly

burrows and rocky outcrops or sometimes
they will build nests on the ground.

solitary animals andcan wander up to 50
miles a day.

Diet
Hokkaido brown bears are omnivores and their diet includes fish, berries,
nuts, insects and occasionally small mammals.

© The Japan Society (2023) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

TANUKI タヌキ
Tanuki,or

Did you know?

Japaneseraccoon dogs, are a memberof the dog family, related towolves and foxes. They aremainlynocturnal,

but

are

sometimes active during the

Tanuki are skilledarethoughttoMuzzle: the mouth andswimmers. In the forests andnose of an animal.

marshlands they happily dive

Omnivore: an animal that

under water to hunt and forageeats both plants and meat.

for food.

daytime. In Japanese folklore
theyGlossarybesupernatural with the ability
to shape shift. They are said
By Bernd Schwabe in Hannover, CC BY-SA 3.0.

to be mischievous and playful,
although sometimes easily-

tricked and forgetful. Tanuki even appear in the Nihon Shoki, the second
oldest book of Japanese history, where two of the animals transform into
humans and sing songs.

HabitatTanuki are found throughout Japan, from
Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in thesouth. They like to live in moist meadows,
shores of rivers and lakes, and mixed forests
in lowlands and mountain valleys (up to

Appearance
Tanuki are small animals, measuring around45 -65cm in length. They have a thick fur
coat, that is usually grey, brown or black incolour, although very rarely white tanuki
have been spotted. Tanuki have a distinctive
face with a white muzzle and brown eyes.
They also have a large, bushy tail.

2,000 metres in altitude).

Did you know?
Statues of tanuki
are placed at theDietentrance to shops andTanuki are omnivores. Their diet includes fruit, nuts, insects, small mammals,

restaurants to bringfrogs, eggs and fish. They can even eat poisonous toads, as they produce lots

good luck.

of saliva that dilutes the poison.

© The Japan Society (2023) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDER オオサンショウウオ
Japanese giant salamander are
endemic to Japan. They are native to

By Salamandra2021, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Appearance

Glossary

The Japanese giant salamander

northern Kyushu, western Honshu andcan grow to a length of 1.5m andShikoku. These mysterious amphibians

a weight of 25kg. The heaviest

are considered living fossils as their

specimen on record is in Tottori

biology has changed little in over 25

Prefectural Museum and weighs

million years. Thought to live up to 100

44.3kg. It has brown and blackyears old, they are the world’s second

mottledlargest amphibian after the Chinese

camouflage against the bottoms ofgiant salamander.

skin

that

providesstreams and rivers. It has tiny eyeswith no eyelids and poor eye sight.

Habitat
The Japanese giant salamander lives in rivers

Did you know?
Their nickname is the
pepper fish because
they produce a milky
substance that smells
like Japanese pepper
when threatened.

and streams with clear, cool water. Because
they are so large and lack gills, they are
confined to flowing water where oxygen isplentiful. They are mainly aquatic, preferringto stay in their watery habitat even after

Endemic: meaning that a plantor animal lives only in a particularlocation.
Amphibian: an animal that lives inwater and on land.
Aquatic: living in water.
Metamorphosis: the process oftransformation from an immatureform to an adult form.
Carnivore: an animal that eatsmeat or other animals.

Diet
These amphibians are carnivores, with a dietof freshwater crab, fish, frogs and insects.
Their slow metabolism allows them to survive
without consuming food for weeks at a time.

metamorphosis and breathing above thesurface without venturing out onto land. The
males build long, horizontal burrows, called
dens, in the river bed in which the females
lay their eggs.

Did you know?
They are able to absorb oxygen fromwater directly into their skin.

© The Japan Society (2023) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

RED-CROWNED CRANE タンチョウヅルGlossary

Also known as the Japanese

Did you know?

crane, the red-crowned craneistheworld’ssecondrarestcrane and is a symbol of good
luck

and

longevity

inJapan.

Standing at a height of around

These birds love to dance!
Males dance to attract a mateand pairs dance together tostrengthen their bond.

160cm, their life expectancy in

Captive: animals underhuman control or care.
Plumage: a bird’s feathers.
Migrate: move or travel toanother place according to
the season.
Omnivore: an animal thateats plants and meat.

the wild is 25 years - althoughcaptive cranes have been known
By Klub Boks from Pexels.

to live as long as 60 years. The
birds hold an important role inJapanese culture and have appeared in many artworks throughout history.

Habitat
Red-crowned cranes are well-adpated to cold
temperatures and live in parts of East Asia andRussia. Some red-crowned cranes migrate toAppearance
The young birds have a combination of white,brown or grey plumage with a light brownhead. As they become adults they develop
a red patch on forehead (which gives them
their name), a black band stretching frombeak to front of the neck, white plumage,and black feathers visible when their wings
are at full stretch.

breed in the spring and summer, however theJapanese population stays in Japan all year

Did you know?

round. They live in the fields, coastal areas,

The orizuru, or origami

They are at threat due to habitat loss caused by

crane, made to wish forhuman development and climate change.

marshes, and freshwater wetlands of Hokkaido.

good fortune and peace,
is a representation ofthis bird.

Diet
These birds are omnivores, eating a diet that includes fish, frogs, small
mammals, insects and plants that grow in marshes and swamps.

© The Japan Society (2023) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk

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Glossary_______________________

Did you know?

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Appearance__________________________________

Habitat___________________________________

Did you know?

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Diet_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________© The Japan Society (2023) | www.japansociety.org.uk | education@japansociety.org.uk