There Are Land Tortoises on Miyakojima Island
There are tortoises on Miyakojima
Of course, they aren’t kept as pets or in zoos—they’re feral
I wonder if “stray” is the right word…
I spotted one the other day on my way home after picking up my child
As you’d expect from a tortoise, its claws are sharp
It was crossing right in the middle of the road, so I pulled over and approached it,
it went into its usual “turtle defense” mode.
It blends in with the color of the road, so you can’t tell at first glance
It’s a real eye-catcher… (*_*)
Since a light truck was coming up behind, I moved it to the side of the road
It has such a cute face
Turtle Species on Miyako Island
I’m wondering—is this a native turtle?
Are they found only on Miyako Island?
I was curious, so I looked it up, and
I found a PDF from the Ministry of the Environment summarizing the endemic and non-native species on Miyako Island.
According to that, it seems these turtles aren’t exclusive to Miyako Island
As I looked further, I found three types of invasive species:
First: Red-eared Slider
This is the red-eared slider, which is commonly sold at home improvement stores.
This turtle is apparently characterized by a red mark behind its eyes.
The turtle I saw didn’t have that marking, so it’s probably a different species.
Second: Semaru Box Turtle
It seems this turtle is native to Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island.
And this one
is a nationally designated natural monument.
I’ve seen them a few times when I was a kid, but
but they looked different from this one
I feel like it was a bit rounder.
This turtle, on the other hand, seems a bit flatter, even though it’s still rounded…
Third Turtle: Yaeyama Box Turtle
This turtle also appears to be a subspecies endemic to Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, and Yonaguni Island.
Looking at them this way, Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island really do have a lot of endemic species, don’t they?
Compared to the turtle I found, this one seems the most similar.
The color is different, though…
I’m no expert, so I can’t say for sure, but it seems the most similar to the Yaeyama Rock Turtle
If you find a turtle on Miyako Island,
As mentioned in this PDF,
they ask that you contact the appropriate authorities regarding invasive species, as they pose a risk of disrupting the island’s ecosystem.
This time, I unwittingly let it go by the side of the road, but next time I’ll try reaching out to them first.
Here’s the contact information ↓
By the way, the PDF also listed what you should mention when you contact them
The last one—what it was doing—is the hardest part to figure out. Haha
From now on, I plan to take photos of these guys, who are currently thriving on Miyako Island.
I don’t plan on going out for non-essential or non-urgent reasons because of COVID,
I see them often on my way to work…
Miyako Island is slowly becoming an island where you can spot peacocks on your way to work (ﾟДﾟ;)
Thank you for watching until the very end! ♪
