Many studies have been reported on the ecology of the Japanese field mouse Apodemus speciosus. However, there are no studies examining the responses by Apodemus speciosus to snakes, which is thought to have important influences on the lives of this species in the field. In the present study, the response of Apodemus speciosus to snakes was examined under experimental conditions. In Experiment I, how they respond to snakes on the ground and how they discriminate between snakes and other reptiles in the dark were examined. The mice exhibited elongate investigative posture, tail vibration, and displacement grooming much more frequently to snakes than to tortoises. The mice approached snakes in a much shorter time than they approached tortoises. In Experiment II, the response of mice to snakes which spontaneously intruded and hid in the mouse nest burrow was examined. All mice hesitated to enter the nest. Some mice exhibited elongate investigative posture and tail vibration near the entrance of the nest burrow and plugged uptheentrancewithsoil. TheresponseofApodemus speciosus to snakes was compared with other rodent species. The relationship between the response pattern and the biological characteristics of each rodent species was discussed.

View full abstract

A total of 33 species Lejeuneaceae were found in Kanagawa. Detailed drawings of 6 species among them are presented. They are Cheilolejeunea obtusifolia, Cololejeunea longifolia, Cololejeunea macounii, Lejeunea japonica, Lejeunea kodamae, and Lejeunea planiloba.

View full abstract

Ninety eight species of liverworts were recorded on the basis of approximately 400 specimens collected from the Shiokawa river areas, southern part of Nagano district. Taxa of phytogeographic interest include Leiocolea heterocolpos, Scapania cuspiduligera, S. ornithopodioides, and Calycularia crispula.

View full abstract

The fluvial eight-barbel loach, Lefua sp., has been included in the Red Data Book as an endangered species (IB) by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Previous population genetic studies have clarified the existence of two genetically distinguished populations within this species (Sanyo group and Kii-Shikoku group). This species had not been discovered in Tottori Prefecture till 2003 when one individual was collected, and after that, no individual has been discovered. In 2008, the author captured six individuals from Tottori Prefecture were genetically examined and, for comparison, individuals from Okayama Prefecture captured in 2008 were also examined. The obtained DNA sequence data were compared also with the data reported in previous studies. The results suggests that the population of L. sp. inhabiting the Sendai River system was a local endemic population that was genetically different from other populations found in neighboring areas.

View full abstract