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Wildlife of Metropolitan Takao-Jimba Natural Park

Snow monkeys (Macaca fuscata)

Wild monkeys inhabit the area around Takao. Sometimes troops of monkeys are seen near roads and trails in the mountains. Snow monkey have distinctive red faces and red behinds. A few male monkeys live with dozens of female and juvenile monkeys in a troop. Thus, finding one monkey is a likely sign that more monkeys are nearby. They have cheek pouches inside their mouths in which they can temporarily store food. The monkeys feed on leaves, buds, and the fruits of plants as well as insects. They also feed on tree bark during winter when food is scarce. Never give food to the monkeys.

Snow monkey (Macaca fuscata)

Calopteryx cornelia, Epiophlebia superstes

Calopteryx cornelia is a type of damselfly (which resemble dragonflies), about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long. It is the largest species among the Calopterygidae family of damselflies in Japan. It mainly feeds on small insects. It has semi-transparent and deep brown wings and a metallic-green belly. It gracefully and elegantly flies around waters. It is seen at Kobotoke River and Kogesawa around May to August. Epiophlebia superstes is a type of dragonfly approximately 5 centimeters (2 inches) long, and is known as a living fossil because this species has been surviving since ancient times. Epiophlebia superstes is only found in Japan, the Himalayas, and China. Its spawning behavior was first observed in Mt. Takao. It is seen at Kogesawa and Hikagesawa around May.

Calopteryx cornelia

Blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana)

The male blue-and-white flycatcher has glossy blue feathers, while the female is light brown. It has a beautiful song that goes, “pee-hee-lee-lee, zi-zi.” It is known as one of three best-singing birds of Japan, the other two being the Japanese bush warbler (also called the Japanese nightingale) and the Japanese robin. The blue-and-white flycatcher migrates to Japan as a summer bird and starts singing on branches of tall trees along streams from late April. The male guarding its territory has certain spots where he sings, and he moves around these spots and sings at them at regular intervals.

Blue-and-white flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana)

Kajika frog (Buergeria buergeri)

The Kajika frog lives in the upstream and middle basins of rivers and forests around the rivers. The brown body color functions as a protective coloration on stones in rivers where the frog spend the most time, so they are hard to find when they are not moving. People have been fond of the beautiful call, “fee-fee-fee-fee, feeee” since ancient times. The body sizes differ greatly between male and female; the female is nearly twice as long as the male.

Kajika frog (Buergeria buergeri)

White nettle (Lamium album)

The white nettle is a perennial herb with a height of 20 to 50 centimeters (7.9 to 19.7 inches). The flower is about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) long. It resembles a dancer wearing a flower-shaped woven hat; hence, the Japanese name of this plant literary means “the dancer herb.” The white nettle is a perennial herb that keeps growing for multiple years and blooms in semi-shade locations such as in bushes along streams and edges of forests. Most flowers are white, light yellow, or pink. The leaf has a broad egg shape and has a pointy tip, and the length is about 5 to 10 centimeters (1.9 to 3.9 inches).

White nettle (Lamium album)

Impatiens textori

Impatiens textori is an annual herb growing in swamps and marshes in fields and mountains. It is often seen in colonies along streams and roadsides. It blooms from August to September. The Japanese name (tsurifunesou, which means a fishing boat sale) comes from the shape of the flower that resembles a hoisted sailboat. A characteristic feature of this plant is that the ripe fruits burst open when touched just like the fruit of the touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) plant. Moths in the family of Sphingidae feed on the flower nectar.

Impatiens textori

Viola eizanensis

This plant is also referred to by its Japanese name, Eizansumire. The scientific name of this plant came from Mt. Hiei (called Hieizan) where the plant was first discovered. It is a perennial herb growing in almost all locations, such as the bottom and edges of forests along streams, roads in forests, and shady areas and sunny areas. This plant has characteristic leaves. The leaves that emerge in spring split into three branches and resemble the foot of a bird. The branches then split into small branches and the shapes become jagged. The leaves grow larger in summer to a length of 15 to 25 centimeters (5.9 to 9.8 inches). The diameter of the flower is about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches), and the color ranges from white to light pink. The flowering period is from early April to early May.

Viola eizanensis

Flaccid anemone

The flaccid anemone is a perennial herb growing in mountainous areas: in sunny areas at the edges of forests, inside forests, and marshy areas. The Japanese name nirinsou means “the herb with two flowers.” The plants of this species often have one or three flowers, but individual flowers usually have two white flowers, which became the Japanese name of this plant. The plant prefers slightly damp areas, and colonies are often seen in forests near water. They cover areas with white flowers and produce beautiful landscapes during spring when new leaves and plants start to sprout. The flowering period is from early April to early May.

Flaccid anemone

Arisaema undulatifolium var. ionostemma

Arisaema undulatifolium var. ionostemma is a perennial herb growing on the ground and edges of forests in low mountains. It grows to a height of 30 to 40 centimeters (11.8 to 15.7 inches). It belongs in the family of Arceae in the same group as Amorphophallus konjac and Arisaema serratum. The Japanese name (mimi-gata tennan-sho) means "ear-shaped Arisaema plant,” because the part of the plant called the spathe, which looks like column-shaped petals, protrudes like human earlobes. The oval leaf has irregular ridges along the edge and contains a toxic substance; thus, take care and do not eat this by mistake. The best time to see this plant is from early April to late April.

Arisaema undulatifolium var. ionostemma

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