List of mammals of Japan

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This is a list of mammal species recorded in Japan (excluding domesticated and captive populations). Of the 172[1] species of mammal found—112 native terrestrial mammals (those that are endemic are identified below; this number includes 37 species of bat), 19 introduced species, 40 species of Cetacea, and the dugong—161 are listed for the Japan region on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: of these, four taxa are critically endangered (Iriomote cat, Muennink's spiny rat, Yanbaru whiskered bat, and Gloomy tube-nosed bat), twenty-one are endangered, eight are vulnerable, and ten are near threatened; the Japanese sea lion and Bonin or Sturdee's pipistrelle are evaluated as extinct.[2] Although on a global level the grey wolf is assessed as least concern, the two Japanese subspecies, Hokkaido wolf and Japanese wolf, are further recent extinctions; the 2020 Japanese Ministry of the Environment Red List also lists as extinct Okinawa flying fox and Japanese river otter, and the subspecies Hokkaido river otter and  [ja].[3]

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:

EX Extinct No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
EW Extinct in the wild Known only to survive in captivity or as (a) naturalized population(s) well outside its previous range.
CR Critically endangered The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
EN Endangered The species is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
VU Vulnerable The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
NT Near threatened The species does not currently meet the criteria for CR, EN, or VU but is close or likely to do so in the near future.
LC Least concern The species has been evaluated and does not meet the qualifying criteria for CR, EN, VU, or NT.
DD Data deficient There is inadequate information to assess the risk of extinction of this species.

Order: Sirenia (manatees and dugongs)[]

Dugong

Sirenia is an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit rivers, estuaries, coastal marine waters, swamps, and marine wetlands. All four species are endangered.

  • Family: Dugongidae
    • Genus: Dugong
      • Dugong, Dugong dugon VU IUCN (MOE: CR) (northern Okinawa Island; the northernmost population globally;[4] designated a Natural Monument under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties[5])

Order: Primates[]

Japanese macaque・Taiwanese macaque・Rhesus macaque

The order Primates contains humans and their closest relatives: lemurs, lorisoids, monkeys, and apes.

  • Suborder: Haplorhini
    • Infraorder: Simiiformes
      • Parvorder: Catarrhini
        • Superfamily: Cercopithecoidea
          • Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys)
            • Genus: Macaca
              • Japanese macaque, Macaca fuscata LC IUCN (Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and adjacent smaller islands; the Aomori population are the northernmost non-human primates;[6] several populations and/or related habitats have been designated Natural Monuments, including those on the Shimokita Peninsula[5])
              • Formosan rock macaque, Macaca cyclopis LC IUCN (introduced species; those on the Shimokita Peninsula were removed in 2004[6])
              • Rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta LC IUCN (feral individuals observed on the Bōsō Peninsula in Chiba[6]

Order: Rodentia (rodents)[]

Coypu・Grey red-backed vole・Northern red-backed vole・Muskrat・Group (Striped field mouse・Black rat・Harvest mouse・House mouse)・Korean field mouse・Large Japanese field mouse・Small Japanese field mouse・Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat・Brown rat・Polynesian rat・Hokkaido squirrel・Japanese squirrel・Japanese dwarf flying squirrel・Pallas's squirrel・Siberian flying squirrel・Ezo chipmunk・Japanese dormouse

Rodents make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40% of mammalian species. They have two incisors in the upper and lower jaw which grow continually and must be kept short by gnawing. Most rodents are small though the capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (99 lb).

Order: Lagomorpha (hares, rabbits, and pikas)[]

Japanese hare・Ezo mountain hare・European rabbit・Amami rabbit・Japanese pika

The lagomorphs comprise two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though they can resemble rodents, and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early 20th century, they have since been considered a separate order. They differ from rodents in a number of physical characteristics, such as having four incisors in the upper jaw rather than two.

  • Family: Leporidae (hares and rabbits)
    • Genus: Lepus
    • Genus: Oryctolagus
      • European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus EN IUCN (feral on thirteen islands)
    • Genus: Pentalagus
      • Amami rabbit, Pentalagus furnessi EN IUCN (MOE: EN) (endemic to Amami Ōshima and Tokunoshima; Special Natural Monument[5])
  • Family: Ochotonidae (pikas)

Order: Eulipotyphla (hedgehogs, shrews, and moles)[]

Amur hedgehog・Asian lesser white-toothed shrew・House shrew・Laxmann's shrew・Long-clawed shrew・Japanese mountain mole・Small Japanese mole・Japanese mole・Echigo mole・Sado mole・True's shrew mole・Japanese shrew mole

Eulipotyphlans are insectivorous mammals. Shrews and solenodons resemble mice, hedgehogs carry spines, gymnures look more like large rats, while moles are stout-bodied burrowers.

Order: Chiroptera (bats)[]

Ryukyu flying fox・Little Japanese horseshoe bat・Northern bat・Endo's pipistrelle・Parti-coloured bat・Hodgson's bat・Big-footed myotis・Hilgendorf's tube-nosed bat・Ussuri tube-nosed bat・Eastern bent-wing bat

The bats' most distinguishing feature is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.

Order: Cetacea (whales)[]

North Pacific right whale・Common minke whale・Sei whale・Bryde's whale・Omura's whale・Blue whale・Fin whale・Humpback whale・Grey whale・Beluga・Harbour porpoise・Dall's porpoise・Sperm whale・Pygmy sperm whale・Dwarf sperm whale・Cuvier's beaked whale・Baird's beaked whale・Indo-Pacific beaked whale・Blainville's beaked whale・Rough-toothed dolphin・Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin・Common bottlenose dolphin・Pantropical spotted dolphin・Striped dolphin・Spinner dolphin・Long-beaked common dolphin・Short-beaked common dolphin・Fraser's dolphin・Pacific white-sided dolphin・Northern right whale dolphin・Risso's dolphin・Melon-headed whale・Pygmy killer whale・False killer whale・Orca・Short-finned pilot whale

The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)[]

Tsushima leopard cat・Masked palm civet・Small Indian mongoose・Raccoon・Japanese red fox・Ezo red fox・Japanese raccoon dog・Ezo brown bear・Japanese black bear・Japanese badger・Sea otter・Japanese marten・Japanese sable・Japanese stoat・Japanese weasel・Siberian weasel・Least weasel・American mink・Northern fur seal・Steller sea lion・†Japanese sea lion・Bearded seal・Ribbon seal・Northern elephant seal・Spotted seal・・Ringed seal

There are over 260 species of carnivorans, the majority of which feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and dentition. Wolves and otters are now believed to be extinct in Japan.

  • Suborder: Feliformia
    • Family: Felidae (cats)
      • Subfamily: Felinae
        • Genus: Prionailurus
          • Leopard cat, P. bengalensis LC
            • Tsushima leopard cat [ja], P. b. euptilurus (MOE: CR) (Tsushima Island; Natural Monument[5])
            • Iriomote cat, P. b. iriomotensis CR IUCN (MOE: CR) (Iriomote; Special Natural Monument[5])
      • Subfamily: Pantherinae
        • Genus: Panthera
          • Leopard, Panthera pardus VU extirpated in prehistory
    • Family: Viverridae (civets)
      • Genus: Paradoxurus
        • Asian palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus LR/lc introduced
      • Genus: Paguma
    • Family: Herpestidae
  • Suborder: Caniformia
    • Family: Canidae (dogs, foxes)
      • Genus: Vulpes
      • Genus: Nyctereutes
        • Japanese raccoon dog, N. viverrinus NE (endemic; Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and adjacent smaller islands; tanuki habitat in Yamaguchi is a Natural Monument[5])
          •  [ja], Nyctereutes viverrinus albus (Hokkaidō, Okushiri Island)
      • Genus: Canis
        • Grey wolf, Canis lupus LC extirpated
    • Family: Ursidae (bears)
    • Family: Procyonidae (raccoons)
      • Genus: Procyon
        • Raccoon, Procyon lotor LC IUCN (introduced from the Americas)
    • Family: Mustelidae (mustelids)
      • Genus: Meles
      • Genus: Enhydra
      • Genus: Lutra
          • Japanese river otter, L. nippon EX (last recorded on Honshū in 1954 and in Kōchi in 1979[7])
      • Genus: Martes
        • Japanese marten, Martes melampus LC IUCN (endemic; Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū)
          •  [ja], Martes melampus tsuensis (MOE: NT) (endemic; Tsushima Island; Natural Monument[5]
        • Sable, Martes zibellina LC IUCN
          •  [ja], Martes zibellina brachyura (MOE: EN) (Hokkaidō)
      • Genus: Mustela
        • Stoat, Mustela erminea LC IUCN
          •  [ja], Mustela erminea nippon (MOE: NT) (central and northern Honshū)
          •  [ja], Mustela erminea orientalis (MOE: NT) (Hokkaidō)
        • Japanese weasel, Mustela itatsi NT IUCN (endemic to Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and adjacent smaller islands; introduced to Hokkaidō, Rishiri Island, Rebun Island, Ryūkyū Islands, etc, for rat control)
        • Siberian weasel, Mustela sibirica LC IUCN (MOE: EN) (native on Tsushima Island, introduced to western Japan)
        • Least weasel, Mustela nivalis LC IUCN
      • Genus: Neogale
    • Family: Otariidae (eared seals, sealions)
      • Genus: Callorhinus
        • Northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus VU IUCN (northern Japan)
      • Genus: Eumetopias
        • Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus NT IUCN (MOE: NT)
          • , Eumetopias jubatus jubatus EN IUCN (Hokkaidō and Shimokita Peninsula)
      • Genus: Zalophus
        • Japanese sea lion, Zalophus japonicus EX (MOE: CR) (last recorded on Takeshima in 1975)
    • Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
      • Genus: Erignathus
        • Bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus LC IUCN (Hokkaidō and vagrant)
          • , Erignathus barbatus nauticus LC IUCN (vagrant)
      • Genus: Histriophoca
        • Ribbon seal, Histriophoca fasciata LC IUCN (northeast Hokkaidō)
      • Genus: Mirounga
        • Northern elephant seal, Mirounga angustirostris LC IUCN (vagrant)
      • Genus: Phoca
      • Genus: Pusa
        • Ringed seal, Pusa hispida EN IUCN (especially northern Hokkaidō)

Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)[]

Wild boar (Japanese boar・)・Reeves's muntjac・Sika deer・Japanese serow

The even-toed ungulates are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in perissodactyls. There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great economic importance to humans.

  • Family: Suidae (pigs)
  • Family: Cervidae (deer)
  • Family: Bovidae (cattle, antelope, sheep, goats)
    • Subfamily: Caprinae
      • Genus: Capricornus
        • Japanese serow, Capricornis crispus LC IUCN (endemic; Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū; Special Natural Monument[5])

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Ohdachi, S. D.; et al., eds. (2015). The Wild Mammals of Japan (2 ed.). Shoukadoh and The Mammal Society of Japan. pp. vii, 404. ISBN 978-4879746917.
  2. ^ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ 環境省レッドリスト2020 [Ministry of the Environment Red List 2020] (in Japanese). Japanese Ministry of the Environment. 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  4. ^ Ohdachi, S. D.; et al., eds. (2015). The Wild Mammals of Japan (2 ed.). Shoukadoh and The Mammal Society of Japan. p. 300. ISBN 978-4879746917.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Database of National Cultural Properties" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Ohdachi, S. D.; et al., eds. (2015). The Wild Mammals of Japan (2 ed.). Shoukadoh and The Mammal Society of Japan. pp. 134, 137, 139. ISBN 978-4879746917.
  7. ^ Ohdachi, S. D.; et al., eds. (2015). The Wild Mammals of Japan (2 ed.). Shoukadoh and The Mammal Society of Japan. p. 262. ISBN 978-4879746917.
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