Amami Oshima: an island of rare frogs
- May 27
- 2 min read
From amphibians to reptiles, mammals, plants and insects, Amami Oshima is home to a large array of endemic life. In fact, around 90% of amphibians and 60% of reptiles found on Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima—the second largest island within the Archipelago—are endemic. Yep, found nowhere else on earth. It is not surprising that the islands are often called the Galapagos of the East.
Offering a bit of background, the islands were once attached to the Eurasian continent and over hundreds of thousands of years detached, reattached, formed new islands, lost old islands, and eventually formed pretty much what we have today around 20,000 years ago. Today, the Amami archipelago is made up of 56 sub-tropical islands, which is where the name behind my “FIVE SIX ISLANDS” logo comes from (a bit of insider info right there). Of the 56 islands, 8 are inhabited. I will expand on the other islands in another blog.
On the topic of frogs, Amami Island is home to a good number of unique species, the most well-known probably being the Ishikawa frog (Odorrana splendida), or ishikawa gaeru as she is known in Japanese. For its striking appearance, this splendid species is often referred to as “Japan’s most beautiful frog.” And it really is quite the beauty. It has a vivid lime-green base highlighted with shades of yellow and a brown dotted pattern emphasized by its tubercles, the raised bumps on its skin, which are often green on the tip and surrounded by dark spots.
The Ishikawa frog is rare and you only get to see her if she wants to be seen.
Then there is the Otton frog (Babina subaspera). Otton is the island term for “big,” and he is quite the beast. Probably weighing two to three times that of an Ishikawa frog, the Otton is what a sumo wrestler would look like if they were a frog. What makes this endemic species especially interesting is the claw-like spike found on its front limbs. You see, frogs typically have four fingers, but the Otton has five, the fifth being a retractable claw they use to fight and mate with. Because of this, it has sometimes been called the “Wolverine frog.” They are rather aggressive fighters, and more often than not, both sides leave with nasty wounds.
Other frogs found here include the Amami tip-nosed frog, Amami green tree frog, and Kajika frog, to name a few. Most are active during the night and, amongst other endemic wildlife, are often found on night tours.
If you are interested in booking a private night tour on Amami Oshima, feel free to get in touch through Amami Tours.
