Okinawan Tree Lizards of the Ryukyu Islands by Shawn Miller

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Admin11

The Okinawan tree lizard (Japarula polygonata polygonata) is found throughout the Ryukyu Islands. It is listed as Vulnerable on The Okinawa Red Data Book of threatened species. Habitat destruction and collection have greatly reduced the populations of the beautiful reptile.

- Scientific name: Japarula polygonata polygonata

- Common name: Okinawan tree lizard or Monkey lizard

- Distribution: Ryukyu Islands

- Habitat: Trees and bushes

- Diet: Insects

- Average size: 17-27cm

Color: Green and yellow

A great place to see this beautiful lizard is in the Yanbaru forest.

Check out those sharp teeth © Shawn Miller

If you’re lucky you can find one eating an insect or two.

Okinawan tree lizard feeding on a bee © Shawn Miller

Okinawan tree lizard feeding on a tiger beetle © Shawn Miller

Sometimes the monkey lizard is not so lucky. It is the Ryukyu odd-toothed snakes favorite meal.

Ryukyu odd-tooth feeding © Shawn Miller

Photographed on white for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project. All images are used for conservation awareness and educational purposes.

Japarula polygonata polygonata -MYN Project © Shawn Miller

This was the first time I found a pair sleeping in a spider monkey fern tree.

Pair of sleeping monkey lizards © Shawn Miller

Female monkey-lizard © Shawn Miller

Japalura polygonata ishigakiensis is a subspecies found on Ishigaki and Iriomote Island.

Japalura polygonata ishigakiensis © Shawn Miller

Face closeup -Japalura polygonata ishigakiensis © Shawn Miller

A closeup of the protective scales.

lizard scales © Shawn Miller

Please pay attention to crossing wildlife.

Amami tree lizard crossing the road

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Ornate narrow mouth frog – Amphibians of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Admin11

The Ornate narrow-mouth frog (Microhyla okinavensis) is found throughout the Ryukyu Islands. It is one of the smallest frogs found on Okinawa. It can be extremely hard to find due to its small size.

Scientific name: Microhyla okinavensis
Common name: Ornate narrow mouth frog, ant frog and ornate pygmy frog
Distribution: Ryukyu Islands
Habitat: Forests, mountain slopes, drainage ditches and farm fields.
Diet: Ants, termites and small insects
Average size: 15mm-25mm
Color: brown

Ornate narrow mouth frog -Okinawa © Shawn Miller

I have found this beautiful frog in the Yanbaru forest, local parks, drainage ditches and even common walking trails in central Okinawa.

Old grown forest -Yanbaru forest © Shawn Miller

This small frog is a master of camouflage. I often find it on rocks, plants, and leaves during my night walks.

Ornate rice frog -Ryukyu Islands © Shawn Miller

Breeding season takes place in the month of April.

Mating ornate frogs © Shawn Miller

The fogs take advantage of farmers buckets. They lay their eggs in small pools of water.

Tadpoles of Okinawa by Shawn Miller © Shawn Miller

Tadpoles, Yamada Okinawa © Shawn Miller

Ornate rice frog -Onna village © Shawn Miller

Photographed on a white portable studio for the Meet your neighbours project – dedicated to connecting people worldwide with the wildlife in their community –

Meet your neighbours project by Shawn Miller © Shawn Miller

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Meet Your Neighbours project – Okinawa, Japan

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Admin11

Founded in 2009, Meet Your Neighbours is a worldwide photographic initiative created by Niall Benvie and Clay Bolt. The project is dedicated to reconnecting people with the wildlife on their own doorsteps and enriching their lives in the process. These creatures and plants are vital to people: they represent the first, and for some, the only contact with wild nature we have. Yet too often they are overlooked, undervalued.

There are seventy-five worldwide contributors to this powerful project. I am currently the Japan contributor to this project. All images are used for conservation awareness and educational purposes. Below are some of my favourite images.

Okinawan green tree frog

Percnon planissimum – crab

Cherry blossom -Mt Yaedake

Crabs with beach trash homes

Porcelain crab ( Petrolisthes hastatus ) -Okinawa

Ryukyu odd-tooth snake ( Dinodon semicarinatum )

Scopimera ryukyuensis – Ryukyu Islands

Fern – Ryukyu Islands

Blueberry hermit crabs (Coenobita purpureus)

Gray faced buzzard eagle

Princess habu -MYN technique

Charybdis japonica -Yagaji Island

American bullfrog – Izena Island

Chinese cowrie

Okinawan Habu- MYN field studio technique

Okinawan mud lobster

Sesarmops intermedius

Air breathing marine slug

Unidentified earthworm – MYN and under Blue light Kume Island

Hawkmoth – MYN

Geograpsus grayi

Blueberry hermit crabs (Coenobita purpureus)

Have a great day!

The Light & Motion Stella 2000 rocks part 1 – Okinawa, Japan

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Admin11

The Stella 2000 offers lightweight professional lighting for photographers and videographers. It delivers 2000 lumens of beautiful wide light on high power. It is waterproof to a depth of 100 meters and extremely durable.

My favorite features of the Stella 2000

Waterproof to 100 meters
Can be mounted on the camera hot-shoe, light stand, loc-line arms or ball mounts.
Quick adjustable power output control
Fast charging and the ability to use the light when it’s charging

I tested the Stella 2000 in the humid jungle and on the shorelines of northern Okinawa. I used it as a spotting light, hiking light, camera modeling light and video light. I tested the light with the 120-beam angle with no modifiers, with custom-made soft-boxes attached, studio umbrellas and with the combination of on-off camera flash.

I concentrated on the reptiles, amphibians and land crabs of northern Okinawa. Below are some of my favorite photographs.