ABOUT
About Okinawa Tree Lizard
Total length 20-30 cm (up to 31 cm in males and 24 cm in females). A subspecies endemic to Japan, distributed in the Amami and Okinawa Islands. A large lizard with a greenish body; as its name suggests, it lives in trees, and males hold territories. It prefers fairly open environments such as the edges of broadleaf forest, secondary forest, and trees in parks and gardens, catching insects and other prey in the daytime. At night it sleeps on branches and leaves, and on night tours you may be able to see it asleep. Its numbers have declined due to logging, predation by mongooses and other animals, and collection for the pet trade, and it is listed as Vulnerable on the Ministry of the Environment's Red List.
SAFETY
Observation Safety Notes
Please enjoy Amami's wildlife through photographs. Some species are protected by law or local ordinance, and capturing or removing them is prohibited. In special protection zones within the national park, collecting any wildlife is prohibited entirely. Please check the notes on this page, and confirm local rules before visiting any site.
