Akita Inu versus Akita
The Akita Inu and Akita are actually two different breeds though it’s only been more recently that they have been recognized as different. They were bred over 300 hundred years and until World War II, they were the same breed. They were bred in Akita and used in pairs to chase more dangerous animals like bears. Around World War II, the breed became very scarce due to famine and the Japanese using the dogs for their fur. Because of their low numbers, most of the dogs were bred to German Shepherds and Mastiffs and they became the Akita breed of today. Akita Inu on the other hand, are the result of Japanese breeding the remaining purebreds, or closest to purebred, to make the breed resemble how they originally looked as much as they could.
The Akita allows for most colors while the qualifications for the Akita Inu are much more strict; “The only colors accepted in the Japanese Akita inu are red-fawn; sesame; brindle; white.” Their temperaments also tend to be different and the differences in body structure are visible. Hachiko was an Akita Inu. For those of you who don’t know the story, Hachiko was an Akita Inu who went to the train station with his owner everyday when he went to work and waited for his owner to return about the same time every day. Hachiko’s owner passed away, but Hachiko continued to come to the station every day for the next nine or so years until the dog too passed away.
I looked up some of Japan’s current conservation efforts. Some of the species they are trying to preserve include the Giant Salamander and Serow I discussed in my last post, but also Snow Monkeys, Red-crowned Cranes, Steller’s Sea Eagle, and Whooper Swans. Snow monkeys are endangered, the Crans nearly went extinct at one point, but have improved, the Swans are currently stable, and the Sea Eagle is vulnerable.
(http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/caught/conservation/japan.html)
If anyone has any questions about the Snow Monkeys, I can probably look it up for you. I just dislike monkeys for some reason. I will say they are neat because they use hot springs to keep themselves warm. They can be seen in big groups just hanging out in natural hot springs. (Ok, fine, I'll include a picture)
I mentioned last post about how Japan is having problems with American Raccoons (http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=890&catid=26&subcatid=164 ) The introduction of non-native species can really be a big problem because it offsets the local ecosystem’s balance though that can also happen with extinction. Wolves have been extinct in Japan and once the Japanese prohibited the hunting of deer, their populations have exploded all over.
Amami Oshima has a mongoose problem. Mongooses were brought over to counter local Habu snakes which are poisonous, but that did not work at all. The mongooses are active during the day while the snakes are nocturnal. Instead, the mongoose’s population has greatly increased and they eat animals like another one of Japan’s natural monuements, the Amami Rabbit.
Okinawa has a species of cat, called the Iriomote Cat, that is one of the most unique in the world because they are the last of a line of felines that went extinct a long time ago. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most endangered felines in the world. It is believed that there are fewer than 100 left in the wild. They have lost much of their habitat, have been hunted, hit by cars, and there is also concern they may be diluting their gene pool by breeding with feral cats. I would love to go see them someday.
There’s much more I could talk about, but there is a start on Japan’s wildlife. Japan has a relatively delicate ecosystem because of its isolated geography and unique species so hopefully they can deal with the invaders somehow and maintain endemic populations.
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