Japanese Dino-mania

Japanese unique ammonites: Fossil day in Japan

I am sorry to rest writing the report of planet shark. It is the fossil day in Japan today! The reason is that Nipponites, representative prehistoric animal in Japan was recorded first today of 1904. Nipponites is very unique ammonite, so I will write about Japanese unique ammonites today.

Parts of ammonites from Hokkaido.
Upper(left to right): *Mariella lewesiensis* and *Hypoturrilites komotai*
Middle: *Eubostrychoceras japonicum*
Lower: *Turrilites costatus*
This photo was takenin Natural Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.

Japanese ammonites are famous for their unique shells. Ammonite’s shell is commonly similar to nautilus’s, but many Japanese ammonites have different shells.

Parts of ammonites from Hokkaido.
Upper: *Scalarites densicostatus*
Lower(Left to right): *Scalarites scalaris* and *Scalarites mihoensis*
This photo was taken in Natural Museum of Nature and Science.

They are called “unusually coiled ammonites” in Japan, but they are not freak and all of them are coiled regularly.

Parts of ammonites from Hokkaido.
Upper(left to right): *Ainoceras paucicostatum* and *Ainoceras kamuy*
Lower: *Nostoceras hetonaiense*
In Natural Museum of Nature and Science

Why did they have such unique shells? Because they had to keep their posture with growing.

*Polyptychoceras* sp. from Hokkaido.
This photo was taken in Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.

“Unusually coiled ammonites” lived in Late Cretaceous, about 100 to 66 million years. ago. They are mainly found in Yezo Group, the strata in Hokkaido, and Izumi Group, the strata between Osaka and Ehime.

*Nipponites mirabilis* in Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.

Nipponites is the most famous Japanese ammonite. It is found in Yezo Group. Its shell looks to coiled irregularly and complexly, but it is coiled regularly.It grew with switch how to coil to vertically, right and left regularly.

*Eubostrychoceras japonicum* in Natural Museum of Nature and Science.

Eubostrychoceras is from Yezo Group. it has a spiral shell. It looks very different to Nipponites, but to surprised, it is relative to Nipponites. The research with computer simulation shows that it is easy to change growing of Eubostrychoceras to it of Nipponites.

*Pravitoceras sigmoidale* in Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.

Pravitoceras is found in Izumi Group. At first, its shell grew as commonly ammonite, but finally, it changed growing direction. To surprise, it is relative to Nostoceras while it looks very different. The middle type fossil between them is found.

*Nostoceras hetonaiense* in Natural Museum of Nature and Science.

They are parts of all. There were a lot of unique ammonites in Japanese sea. If you have a chance to visit science museum in Japan, you should see them.

Planet Shark report(1)

On September 22th, I visited the exhibition “Planet Shark: Predator or Prey” in WA Maritime Museum. There were a lot of specimens of sharks. This exhibition will be held until November 10th. If you are interested in sharks, you should visit.

Megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon, Charcharocles megalodon or Otodus megalodon) is the largest predator shark ever lived. There are variety of theories about its size because only huge teeth are found all over the world.

Teeth of juvenile megarodon. They are big although they are juvenile’s.

Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is exactly king of the sharks.

Skull of killer whale (Orcinus orca) for comparison with the jaw of great white shark. He has scary teeth like piles.

Real sized picture of Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). It is the second-largest shark in the world.

Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) can live not only in ocean but also in river. He has amazing adaptability.

Skull of saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) for comparison with the jaw of bull shark. It is the biggest crocodile in the world. Nerves for current sensors were in the pits around his nose.

Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) swallows everything that would be able to be put in his mouth. He is very greedy.

Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) has beautiful spots. I felt he is the most beautiful shark in the exhibition.

Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) is one of the most dangerous sharks in the world. Many ship crews have fallen victims to them.

Thank you for reading! Next time, I will write about unique sharks. See you next time!

Perth Zoo report(6): Reptile Encounter

I am sorry to be late. This is the final report about Perth Zoo. I will write about reptiles today.

Pebble-mimic dragon (Tympanocryptis cephalus) is very cute. I had not seen it before, but It became one of the cutest reptiles that I know.

Southern pygmy spiny-tailed skink (Egernia depressa) looks like a small dragon. He is cool.

Western blue-tongue skink (Tiliqua occipitalis) has a thick body and small legs. He looks like Tsuchinoko, Japanese monster or cryptid that looks like a viper with short and thick body.

Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) has a nice crest. I think it is one of the most unique chameleons.

Pygmy python (Antaresia perthensis) is very small. I was surprised because I thought pythons were all big.

Common death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) has short body as a snake. It has very scary name.

Dugite (Pseudonaja affinis)’s catch phrase on the caption is “Perth’s Living Mouse Trap”. I think that it is the great caption.

I saw a lot of animals not only in Australia, but also all over the world. It is the wonderful zoo.

Perth Zoo report(5): Asian Rainforest

I’ll write about Asian tropical animals today.

Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). “Orangutan” means “forest man”. He is our relative.

Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are second-largest animals on the ground. Bull has great tusks, but female does not have them.

Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris smatrae) is the smallest tiger, but he is big because tigers are the biggest cats.

Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is much smaller than Japanese black bear. I felt Bergmann’s rule.

Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest lizard in the world. He is much bigger and massiver than other monitors. I wanted to see him.

Next, I’ll write about Reptile Encounter. See you next time!

Perth Zoo report(4): Amazonia & Primate Trail

I’ll write about South American animals today.

Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis nigra) are the largest tortoise in the world. They are huge. They are not in Amazonia nor Primate Trail, but I write here.

South American coati (Nasua nasua) is relative to racoons. Procyonidae has variety of animals like racoons, cacomistle, kinkajou, or it.

Pygmy marmoset (Callithrix pygmaea) is very small. It is very cute.

Cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) has nice hair style.

Bolivian squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) is cute.

Emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator) has a great moustache.

Small monkeys are very cute. Next, I’ll write about Asian Rainforest. See you next time!

Perth Zoo report(3): African Savannah

I’ll write about African animals today.

African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus) are very actively.

Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) have red hips.Their rostrums stick out, so Their faces are similar to carnivoras’.

African lion (Panthera leo senegalensis) was sleeping. Her charisma was broken.

Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) was also sleeping. I could not watch his wide mouth.

Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is scavenger, but it is also great hunter. His upper body is massive.

Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) and plains zebras (Equus quagga). The view in savannah.

Slender-tailed meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is very cute.

Radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata). Tortoises’ legs like columns are cool.

Next is mainly about Primate Trail. See you next time!

Perth Zoo report(2): Australian Wetland

I am sorry to be late. I’ll write mainly about Australian waterfowls.

Black-necked storks (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) never moved. They have as much patience as shoebill.

Black swan (Cygnus atratus) is big, but it is common waterfowl in Australian lakes.

Yellow-billed spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) has longer legs and beak like spoon or spatula, but it is related to ibises. In Japan, spoonbills are very rare birds, but in Australia, they can seen commonly in lakes.

Little penguin (Eudyptula minor novaehollandiae) is the smallest penguin in the world. He is cute.

Hairy marron (Cherax tenuimanus) is the huge crayfish. Before seeing, I thought he is as small as red swamp crayfish, so I was surprised for his size although I could see only a part of his body.

Next is about African Savannah.See you next time!

Perth Zoo report(1): Main Lake & Australian Bushwalk

I visited Perth Zoo on August 31th. I’ll write reports about there from today.

Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is the animal that I wanted to see the best. He has very big and scary claws on each second toes.

Bush stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) is slenderer than I thought. It lives in dry land while most of charadriiformes are waterfowl.

Pink cockatoos (Lophochroa leadbeateri) have very beautiful crest.

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the biggest bird in Australia. I like such birds that run on the ground.

Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is said that it is similar to anteater, but I thought he is not similar to anteater as they are said. He is smaller than I thought.

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) are symbols of Australia. The situation one of them was on the ground was new to me.

All of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) were lying. Same situation was in Caversham Wildlife Park, too.

Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) was sleeping in his nest. It lays eggs although it is mammal.

Next is about Australian Wetland. See you next time!

Caversham Wildlife Park report(3)

This is the final report of Caversham Wildlife Park. I’ll write about lizards.

Frilled dragon (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is the most famous Australian lizard in Japan. I can see his frill clearly while it is closed.

Central bearded dragon (Pogoma vitticeps). I think it is one of the cutest reptiles without turtles. I wanted to see it.

Perentie (Varanus giganteus) is the largest lizard in Australia. He moved actively. Monitors are my most favorite lizards.

Shingleback lizard (Tiliqua rugosa) has a lot of unique point like scale like closed pine cone and thick and short body and tail. It lives around the university.

This zoo is specialized for Australian animals and I watched many unique animals in Australia. I wanted to see a lot.

Caversham Wildlife Park report(2)

I’ll write about Cockatoos today.

Gang-gang cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum, left) and pink cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri, right). They hold a fruit when they eat it.I feel Gang-gang cockatoo has a funny name.

Eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus). Red one is female and green one is male. There are so many birds whose male and female has different colors, but that both of them are beautiful is very rare case.

Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) is one of the most colorful birds. There are many rainbow lorikeets around the student village.

I think Australia is the country of cockatoos and parrots. See you next time!