List of reptiles of Japan explained

This list of reptiles of Japan is primarily based on the IUCN Red List, which details the conservation status of some one hundred species.^[1] Of these, five are assessed as critically endangered (the hawksbill turtle and yellow pond turtle and the endemic Toyama's ground gecko, Yamashina's ground gecko, and Kikuzato's brook snake), ten as endangered, twelve as vulnerable, thirteen as near threatened, fifty-eight as of least concern, and two as data deficient.^[1]

According to statistics accompanying the 2020 Japanese Ministry of the Environment (MoE) Red List, one hundred species and subspecies are to be found, but the conservation status of only fifty-seven is detailed.^[2] ^[3] ^[4] Of these, five taxa are critically endangered from a national perspective, nine are endangered, twenty-three vulnerable, seventeen near threatened, and three data deficient.^[2] ^[3]

Order: Squamata (lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians)

Suborder: Lacertilia (lizards)

Family: Agamidae
- Genus: Diploderma
  - Ryukyu japalure, Diploderma polygonatum
    - Okinawa tree lizard, D. p. polygonatum(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)
    - Sakishima tree lizard, D. p. ishigakiense(endemic subspecies) (MoE: NT)
    - Yonaguni tree lizard, D. p. donan(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)
  - Taiwan japalure, Diploderma swinhonis (introduced^[5])
Family: Dactyloidae
- Genus: Anolis
  - Green anole, Anolis carolinensis (introduced^[5])
Family: Eublepharidae
- Genus: Goniurosaurus
  - Banded ground gecko, Goniurosaurus splendens (endemic) (MoE: EN)
  - Kuroiwa's ground gecko, Goniurosaurus kuroiwae (endemic)
    - Okinawa ground gecko, G. k. kuroiwae(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)
    - Sengoku ground gecko, G. k. sengokui(endemic subspecies) (MoE: EN)
  - Spotted ground gecko, Goniurosaurus orientalis (endemic) (MoE: CR)
  - Toyama's ground gecko, Goniurosaurus toyamai (endemic) (MoE: CR)
  - Yamashina's ground gecko, Goniurosaurus yamashinae (endemic) (MoE: CR)
Family: Gekkonidae
- Genus: Gehyra
  - Stump-toed gecko, Gehyra mutilata
- Genus: Gekko
  - Hokou gecko, Gekko hokouensis
  - Schlegel's Japanese gecko, Gekko japonicus
  - Tawa gecko, Gekko tawaensis (endemic) (MoE: NT)
  - Yakushima gecko, Gekko yakuensis (endemic) (MoE: VU)
  - Gekko shibatai (endemic) (MoE: NT)
  - Gekko vertebralis (endemic)
- Genus: Hemidactylus
  - Asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus
  - Bowring's gecko, Hemidactylus bowringii (MoE: VU)
- Genus: Hemiphyllodactylus
  - Indo-Pacific slender gecko, Hemiphyllodactylus typus (introduced^[5])
- Genus: Lepidodactylus
  - Mourning gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris
- Genus: Perochirus
  - Micronesia saw-tailed gecko, Perochirus ateles (MoE: VU)
Family: Iguanidae
- Genus: Iguana
  - Green iguana, Iguana iguana (introduced^[5])
Family: Lacertidae
- Genus: Takydromus
  - Amur grass lizard, Takydromus amurensis (MoE: NT)
  - Green grass lizard, Takydromus smaragdinus (endemic)
  - Japanese grass lizard, Takydromus tachydromoides (endemic)
  - Miyako grass lizard, Takydromus toyamai (endemic) (MoE: CR)
  - Sakishima grass lizard, Takydromus dorsalis (endemic) (MoE: VU)
- Genus: Zootoca
  - Viviparous lizard, Zootoca vivipara (MoE: VU)
Family: Scincidae
- Genus: Ateuchosaurus
  - Ryukyu short-legged skink, Ateuchosaurus pellopleurus (endemic)
  - Ateuchosaurus okinavensis(endemic)
- Genus: Cryptoblepharus
  - Ogasawara snake-eyed skink, Cryptoblepharus nigropunctatus (endemic) (MoE: NT)
- Genus: Emoia
  - Littoral whiptail-skink, Emoia atrocostata
    - Beach skink, E. a. atrocostata(MoE: VU)
- Genus: Plestiodon
  - Barbour's blue-tailed skink, Plestiodon barbouri (endemic) (MoE: VU)
  - Far-Eastern skink, Plestiodon latiscutatus (endemic)
  - Kishinoue's giant skink, Plestiodon kishinouyei (endemic) (MoE: VU)
  - Okinawa blue-tailed skink, Plestiodon marginatus (endemic) (MoE: VU)
  - Ousima skink, Plestiodon oshimensis (endemic) (MoE: NT)
  - Senkaku skink, Plestiodon takarai (endemic) (MoE: EN)
  - Shanghai elegant skink, Plestiodon elegans
  - Stimpson's skink, Plestiodon stimpsonii (endemic) (MoE: NT)
  - Plestiodon finitimus
  - Plestiodon japonicus (endemic)
  - Plestiodon kuchinoshimensis (endemic) (MoE: DD)
- Genus: Scincella
  - Boettger's ground skink, Scincella boettgeri (endemic)
  - Tsushima ground skink, Scincella vandenburghi
  - Yonaguni ground skink, Scincella dunan (endemic)

Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)

Family: Calamariidae
- Genus: Calamaria
  - Collared reed snake, Calamaria pavimentata
    - Miyara's collared reed snake, C. p. miyarai(MoE: VU)
  - Pfeffer's reed snake, Calamaria pfefferi (endemic) (MoE: EN)
Family: Colubridae
- Genus: Elaphe
  - Beauty ratsnake, Elaphe taeniura
    - Sakishima beauty ratsnake, E. t. schmackeri(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)
    - Taiwan beauty ratsnake, E. t. friesi(introduced^[5])
  - Japanese four-lined ratsnake, Elaphe quadrivirgata
  - Japanese ratsnake, Elaphe climacophora (albino form at Iwakuni is a Natural Monument^[6])
  - Keeled ratsnake, Elaphe carinata
    - Chinese keeled ratsnake, E. c. carinata(MoE: EN)
    - Yonaguni keeled ratsnake, E. c. yonaguniensis(endemic subspecies) (MoE: EN)
- Genus: Euprepiophis
  - Japanese woodsnake, Euprepiophis conspicillata
- Genus: Lycodon
  - Ryukyu odd-tooth snake, Lycodon semicarinatus (endemic)
  - Oriental odd-tooth snake, Lycodon orientalis (endemic)
  - Red-banded snake, Lycodon rufozonatus
    - Red-banded odd-tooth snake, L. r. rufozonatus(MoE: NT)
    - Sakishima odd-tooth snake, L. r. walli(endemic subspecies)
  - Ruhstrat's wolf snake, Lycodon ruhstrati
  - Lycodon multifasciatus (endemic) (MoE: NT)
- Genus: Ptyas
  - Ryukyu green snake, Ptyas semicarinatus (endemic)
  - Sakishima green snake, Ptyas herminae (endemic) (MoE: NT)
- Genus: Rhabdophis
  - Tiger keelback, Rhabdophis tigrinus
Family: Elapidae
- Genus: Emydocephalus
  - Ijima's sea snake, Emydocephalus ijimae (MoE: VU)
- Genus: Hydrophis
  - Annulated sea snake, Hydrophis cyanocinctus
  - Black-headed sea snake, Hydrophis melanocephalus
  - Ornate reef sea snake, Hydrophis ornatus
    - Ryukyu ornate sea snake, H. o. maresinensis
  - Stokes's sea snake, Hydrophis stokesii
  - Viperine sea snake, Hydrophis viperinus
  - Yellow-bellied sea snake, Hydrophis platurus
- Genus: Laticauda
  - Blue-banded sea krait, Laticauda laticaudata (MoE: VU)
  - Black-banded sea krait, Laticauda semifasciata (MoE: VU)
  - Colubrine sea krait, Laticauda colubrina
- Genus: Sinomicrurus
  - , Sinomicrurus japonicus (endemic)
    - Amami coral snake, S. j. japonicus(endemic subspecies) (MoE: NT)
    - Okinawa coral snake, S. j. boettgeri(endemic subspecies) (MoE: NT)
  - MacClelland's coral snake, Sinomicrurus macclellandi
    - Iwasaki's coral snake, S. m. iwasakii(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)
Family: Natricidae
- Genus: Hebius
  - Japanese keelback, Hebius vibakari
    - Danjo keelback, H. v. danjoense(endemic subspecies) (MoE: DD)
  - Pryer's keelback, Hebius pryeri (endemic)
  - Yaeyama keelback, Hebius ishigakiense (endemic)
  - , Hebius concelarum (endemic) (MoE: EN)
- Genus: Opisthotropis
  - Kikuzato's brook snake, Opisthotropis kikuzatoi (endemic) (MoE: CR)
Family: Pareidae
- Genus: Pareas
  - Iwasaki's snail-eater, Pareas iwasakii (endemic) (MoE: NT)
Family: Typhlopidae
- Genus: Indotyphlops braminus
  - Brahminy blind snake, Indotyphlops braminus (introduced^[5])
Family: Viperidae
- Genus: Gloydius
  - Mamushi, Gloydius blomhoffii
  - Tsushima Island pitviper, Gloydius tsushimaensis (endemic)
- Genus: Ovophis
  - Ryukyu island pitviper, Ovophis okinavensis (endemic)
- Genus: Protobothrops
  - Sakishima habu, Protobothrops elegans (endemic)
  - Habu, Protobothrops flavoviridis (endemic)
  - Pointed-scaled pitviper, Protobothrops mucrosquamatus (introduced^[5])
  - Tokara habu, Protobothrops tokarensis (endemic) (MoE: NT)
Family: Xenodermidae
- Genus: Achalinus
  - Amami old-scaled snake, Achalinus werneri (endemic) (MoE: NT)
  - Formosan odd-scaled snake, Achalinus formosanus
    - Yaeyama odd-scaled snake, A. f. chigirai(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)
  - Japanese odd-scaled snake, Achalinus spinalis

Order: Testudines (turtles)

Superfamily: Chelonioidea (sea turtles)

Family: Cheloniidae
- Genus: Caretta
  - Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta (MoE: EN)
- Genus: Chelonia
  - Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas (MoE: VU)
- Genus: Eretmochelys
  - Hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata (MoE: EN)
- Genus: Lepidochelys
  - Olive ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea
Family: Dermochelyidae
- Genus: Dermochelys
  - Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea

Superfamily: Chelydroidea (snapping turtles)

Family: Chelydridae
- Genus: Chelydra
  - Snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina (introduced^[5])

Superfamily: Testudinoidea (pond turtles and Geoemydid turtles)

Family: Emydidae
- Genus: Trachemys
  - Yellow-bellied slider turtle, Trachemys scripta (introduced^[5])
    - Red-eared slider turtle, T. s. elegans(introduced^[5])
Family: Geoemydidae
- Genus: Cuora
  - Yellow-margined box turtle, Cuora flavomarginata
    - , C. f. evelynae(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)
- Genus: Geoemyda
  - Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle, Geoemyda japonica (endemic) (MoE: VU)
- Genus: Mauremys
  - Japanese pond turtle, Mauremys japonica (endemic) (MoE: NT)
  - Reeves' pond turtle, Mauremys reevesii (introduced^[5])
  - Yellow pond turtle, Mauremys mutica
    - Asian yellow pond turtle, M. m. mutica
    - Ryukyu yellow pond turtle, M. m. kami(endemic subspecies) (MoE: VU)

Superfamily: Trionychia (softshell turtles)

Family: Trionychidae
- Genus: Pelodiscus
  - Chinese softshell turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis (MoE: DD)

Japanese names

The Japanese names for the taxa found in Japan have been collated and published by the .^[7]

External links

Invasive Species of Japan: Reptiles

Notes and References

Web site: IUCN Red List>Advanced Search>Taxonomy: Reptilia - Land Regions: Japan . . 12 October 2023.
Web site: http://www.env.go.jp/press/113666.pdf . ja:環境省レッドリスト2020掲載種数表 . Ministry of the Environment Red List 2020: Table of Number of Species Listed . Japanese . . 12 October 2023.
Web site: https://www.env.go.jp/press/files/jp/114457.pdf . ja:環境省レッドリスト2020 . Ministry of the Environment Red List 2020 . Japanese . . 12 October 2023.
Web site: https://ikilog.biodic.go.jp/Rdb/booklist . ja:レッドデータブック・レッドリスト . Red Data Books and Red Lists . Japanese . . 12 October 2023.
Web site: Invasive Species of Japan: Reptiles . . 26 July 2021.
Web site: https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/173735/1 . ja:岩国のシロヘビ . White Snakes of Iwakuni . Japanese . . 27 July 2021.
Web site: http://herpetology.jp/wamei/pdf_ja.php . ja:日本産爬虫両生類標準和名リスト . Standard Japanese Names for the Reptiles and Amphibians of Japan . Japanese . Herpetological Society of Japan . 8 September 2023 . 12 October 2023.