Shiretoko Peninsula: Red Foxes Born at the Fisherman’s Hut (Banya)

We met a family of Red Fox in Rausu during the spring months, when the temperatures had not yet risen to double digits yet.

The three red fox kits lived under the floor of a building called ‘Banya’, which is a hut used by the sea fishermen.

I met these kids when they were less than two weeks old, and they still couldn’t see very well. The parents were frequently grooming them, to remove the dirt from their fur.

After observing them for a few days, I could get to know their daily schedule, and the relationships between the three siblings.

The third kit, which is a little smaller, was often seen dozing off or behaving a little differently then the other two. Every morning, when the time came for the fishermen to return to the port, the parent fox would also go to the port to get the fish from the fishermen.

Red Fox cub
Red Fox cub
Red Fox cub

Every year, from May to June in Rausu, it is not uncommon to find baby foxes coming out suddenly from under the floor of the huts, jump out onto the road, or sadly even get hit by a car in the road. During this season in Eastern Hokkaido, animals such as deer and fox are raising their families, so there is a need to be extra careful when driving.

Photo & Text: Kaito IMAHORI
Observation:  Rausu, Shireoko Peninsula, Hokkaido

*Contact  us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ezo Chipmunks Preparing for Winter

You might have a chance to encounter the small animals in the parks and shrines while vising the Eastern Hokkaido area.

Among them are the chipmunks, which hibernate through the winter. They will use the entire park in the autumn months to collect food for their winter storage. They may carry many kinds of food back to their nests such as yew nuts, walnuts, acorns, and mushrooms.

The Ezo Chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus lineatus, is a subspecies of chipmunk that is distributed throughout Hokkaido, its surrounding islands, and the islands of the Northern Territories.

Its body is about 15 centimeters long, a similar size as a mouse; and its footsteps are hard to hear, so it is often not noticed. Hokkaido is home to two small species: the Ezo squirrels and the Ezo chipmunks. The biggest difference is that Ezo chipmunks hibernate, but Ezo squirrels do not hibernate.

Ezo squirrels build their nests at the tops of tall trees, and basically live in the canopy. Ezo chipmunks, on the other hand, build burrows at the base of trees and hibernate, so their home range is largely on the ground level.

Ezo squirrels are also longer than Ezo chipmunks, with the squirrel’s tail alone, measuring about 15 centimeters.

Ezo squirrels can be observed throughout the year, but the Ezo chipmunks are easier to find from September to October, which is the busy pre-hibernation feeding season for them.

 

Photography & text: Shohei Morita
Observation: Sep 2022, Eastern Hokkaido Region

*Contact  us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,