8 Dangerous Animals in Japan You Should be Aware of

Japan is a fun place to visit as it has many interesting things to explore. Japan’s wildlife is also worth visiting and exploring. Japan also owns many endemic species that can be found nowhere else in other parts of the world. Some of the species are also endangered and rare.

Talking about animals in Japan, you might know the green pheasant as its national bird. However, Japan also has some dangerous animals you need to be aware of while visiting this country, just like knowing dangerous animals in Russia. By knowing these 8 dangerous animals in Japan, you will be able to avoid something unexpected and harmful as well.

Let’s see the 8 dangerous animals in Japan you should be aware of.

• Japanese Mamushi

Japanese Mamushi is also called Japanese Pit Viper. It is the most venomous snake in the family that can be found in Japan. This snake can be found around the country and in certain places, such as swamps, marshes, meadows and rocky landscapes.

This snake can grow up to 80 cm in length. Japanese Mamushi can be easily noticed by its black or brown shaped head and a grey or reddish brown colored body. This snake mainly feeds on rodents, small lizards and also birds. Be aware of this snake as it can camouflage in dense vegetation or thick shrub.

This snake is able to bite 2 to 3,000 people in a year. However, there is an anti-venom found to cure the bite. Unfortunately, when it is left untreated or treated lately, it can lead to death.

Get to know the other snakes to discover in Australia as Australia is also a home for various snakes, both the venomous and the harmless ones.

• Asiatic Black Bears

This bear is also called as Tsuki no waguma in Japanese. This bear species is having middle-sized body and existing around the main island of Honshu and smaller island of Shikoku. The females are smaller than the males.

This bear is herbivorous, mainly consumes nuts, berries and grasses. However, the Asiatic black bears are also reported eating livestock and other wild animals.

Moreover, there are also some other reports of the bear attacking humans as their habitat is destroyed. Deforestation is the main cause of the habitat loss of this bear.

Besides these two species of bears, there are some other bears you can find around the world.

• Ussuri Brown Bear

Also called ezo higuma in Japanese, the Ussuri brown bear is a close relative to the Black grizzly. They mostly populate the areas of the Northern island of Hokkaido.

Similar to the Asiatic black bears, these bears are herbivores. They mainly feed on nuts, berries, insects, and grasses, but they can also feed on animals. Fish, for instance, is one of the regular part of their diet, specifically during the hottest months of summer.

• Redback Spiders

The redback spiders is one of the most venomous arachnid that came from Australia. It traveled to Osaka, Japan by a woodchip shipment. They have been settling around for several years as they are spotted across the country. You can find these redback spiders in some places, such as Fukuoka, Osaka and even Tokyo.

These spiders are nocturnal, they hide during the day and spin their web at night. They feed mainly on insects, snakes, small lizards and even other spiders that are caught in their web.

As told before, the redback spiders are venomous. Though their venom is not lethal, still it has the potential to cause pain and swelling. Once the venom is injected, it should be treated immediately. It’s recommended to get into the hospital immediately for treatment.

• Japanese Hornets

Japanese hornets, or Japanese giant hornets, are the big insects that exist mostly in the rural areas of Japan. They prefer to build their habitat on the trees outside the cities too. Do you know that hornet is also one of the creepiest ants over the world?

As their name, Japanese giant hornet is large in size, as they can grow up to 4 cm long with a wingspan up to 6 cm. They mainly feed on smaller insects, especially honey bees and mantises.

When it is provoked, this insect will be very aggressive. It has venom that can be lethal if it stings for multiple times. So, once someone is stung, it should be treated immediately in the hospital. Unfortunately, there are around 30 to 40 people died every year because of hornet sting.

• Japanese Mountain Leech

The Japanese mountain leech is a small creature looks like worm. You can find this creature on land and even up on trees. Don’t get misled by its innocent appearance.

The Japanese mountain leeches are able to somersault their prey once they identify it. Their position up high on the tree is used as an advantage to drop onto their prey easily.

They are equipped with several jaws lined with lots of tiny teeth. They will inject a compound, acting as anesthetic once they bite. The compound will be able to numb the wound.

As a result, you will not feel any pain and they will suck the very lifeblood from you. They are the members of blood-sucking animals, together with mosquitoes. The more horrible thing about their bite is they are able to bite through clothing too!