Kishinoue’s giant skink

　On the tour led by Mr Kobayashi of ‘Seabeans’ on Ishigaki Island, you can encounter not only wild birds but also reptiles.

　What I saw for the first time on this occasion was the ‘Kishinoue’s giant skink’, one of Japan’s largest lizards, measuring 40 cm in length. It is a species endemic to Japan, found exclusively in the Yaeyama Islands, and is designated as an endangered species. In particular, it appears to be preyed upon by the Indian peafowl, an invasive species commonly seen on Ishigaki Island.

　The individual I encountered this time was right on the road; as soon as our car approached, it scurried away and hid at the side of the road, but it did at least show us its face.

　Ishigaki Island is also home to other endemic species, such as the Stimpson’s skink and the Sakishima grass lizard, but there are concerns about declining population of all of them.