In search of Giants - Japan November 2014

For your reports/images, made outside Europe and the "Mediterranean" countries. Not to be too narrow minded and limited to our European/Mediterranean herps.

Re: In search of Giants - Japan November 2014

Postby Bobby Bok » Fri Dec 19, 2014 8:25 pm

Thanks a bunch everyone!

Paul Lambourne wrote:I will interrogate you both mercilessly about the trip when I see you in the Balearic's!!


Looking forward, just one more week :)

Ruggero Morimando wrote:Beautiful natural places: not right season for snakes, but I suppose those places are probably still plenty of snakes too.
One of my most interesting books is this: http://www.amazon.it/SNAKE-HISTORY-KYOT ... B003XF1EZY
And reading this book one can easily notice the "terrible" habitat modifications in a place neare Kyoto during the '50-'60 years (beginning of the "industrial and chemicals" era).


Before we arrived the area had some snow and ice already and seeing pictures from what it looks like now... Winter wonderland! So no snakes for us but there should be some interesting species around.
Habitat alterations form indeed one of the biggest threats to the Giant Salamanders and are the reason why they have disappeared from many places. Luckily the river we visited is well protected and hosts a healthy population with well over 1000 adult individuals.

Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:Is there a "bad" season to look for these animals?


Winter would be one of the "less good" seasons at least. Some streams are partially fed by natural hotsprings and have the same temperature throughout the year. So even in winter these animals can be seen but in smaller numbers. In any case I think you are unlikely to miss out on them unless the streams are covered with ice.

Peter Oefinger wrote:Great - usually a once in your lifetime experience but Laura & Bobby are doing such trips at least twice a year ;-)

We are two lucky people Peter ;)

Robin Duborget wrote:Japan never tickle my curiosity but now I will give some tough to this country and his amphibians ...

Besides the Giant Salamanders, for me neither. But while doing some research before our trip I think Japan is very exciting in terms of herps! It stretches from semi-tundra in the north to subtropical jungle in the south. Within the country borders you can find species such as Salamandrella and Echinotriton... I definitely want to go back to Japan and don't want to miss out on Okinawa!
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Re: In search of Giants - Japan November 2014

Postby Matthijs Hollanders » Sun Dec 21, 2014 5:37 pm

Wonderful trip and nice pictures you two. And congratulations.
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Re: In search of Giants - Japan November 2014

Postby Bobby Bok » Tue Jan 06, 2015 10:42 pm

Thanks buddy!

For those interested, I inserted two small videos I made with my Iphone. They are rather shitty - I admit - but they still show how placid and graceful these animals glide though the water.

http://www.herpsafari.nl/tripreports-ou ... an-kansai/
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