Oki Hare

This endemic Oki species is a subspecies of the Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus). Since there are no medium to large mammals such as bears and wild boars in the Oki Islands, the Oki hare is the largest wild mammal on the islands. While the fur of some Japanese hares changes color to white in the winter, the Oki hare remains brown throughout the year. Another characteristic of the Oki hare is that its body is larger, but its ears and legs are shorter compared to the Japanese hare. The Oki hare is found on both Dōgo and Nishinoshima Islands, but the size of their heads and the length of their ears differ slightly between the two islands.