Wildlife of Shikoku

Going Steve Irwin on Japan's pilgrimage island.

As you would expect, there's all sorts of creepy crawly critters that you encounter when you spend 8 hours a day hiking around the mountains, fields, and trails of Shikoku. Every day you see creatures crawling, scurrying, dying, getting eaten, and being replaced by the next batch of critters. Life and death are on constant display, and it really drives home the Buddhist themes of suffering and rebirth. Also, don't get bit because my cell phone doesn't work.

Giant Pathetic Earthworms- You see these dumb worms everywhere after every rain storm. They're bluish black, and they grow to up to a foot long! They also have no idea how to survive on the road. They end up on the street, where they either get run over by cars, get baked alive by the sun, or devoured by an entire colony of ants, the post concert cleanup crew of nature. At first I felt bad for them and tried to shove them with the stick to the side of the road, but eventually I gave up on the idea. Besides, that's gonna be an entire ant colony's dinner tonight! Don`t wanna leave them hungry.

Crabs- Japanese crabs are hardcore. They are the adventurers of the aquatic world over here. You'll be hiking on a mountain trail that's several thousand feet in elevation, and what do you see blocking the trail? A fricking crab. They're like the Sir Edmund Hilary of nature. Why did the crab climb the mountain? Because it was there. I wonder who the crab's Sherpa was? I mean, SHRIMPA!!! (Bad-dum crash.) I've even seen these crabs climb TREES. That would be an unpleasant surprise for some UC Santa Cruz tree climbing hippy student. Or maybe a welcome snack. One or the other. So don't mess with Japanese crabs, because they'll follow you home, climb up your window, and do their menacing "both claws in the air like they just don't care" pose that's actually kind of adorable. Watch yourself now.

Fune mushi- This translates to Boat Bug, and they're basically silverfish, but twice or three times as big. They give me the shivers, man. I guess they're the cockroaches of the maritime world. Besides the actual cockroaches, obviously. Yet another reason why I'm glad I went Army instead of Navy. (Navy band always seemed to kick our ass though, unfortunately.)

Frogs and Toads- I've seen and heard frogs and toads ever since the pilgrimage began. Not much to report about frogs, they're frogs, nothing new. However, here in Kagawa prefecture, they have something a little different: TOADS. These guys are huge, like the size of a Fuddruckers hamburger. Even more ridiculous is the sound they make. The first time I heard it, I thought it was a cow mooing, but with laryngitis or something. Nope, it was a bunch of mega toads in a pond. You see and hear something new everyday out here.

SNAKES- I AM TIRED OF THESE MOTHERF***ING SNAKES IN MY MOTHERF***ING SHIKOKU!!! Yes, there are snakes here. Most are tiny little gopher snakes that ain't nothing to worry about. However, just like the toads, in Kagawa prefecture they've gotten a little bigger. I saw a snake chilling on the road that was at least 3 or 4 feet long. Don`t mess with that. Fortunately, they seem to be scared off by the sound and vibration that the Kobo Daishi staff makes. Which is a good thing. Snakes and humans have nothing to gain from each other. They can't eat us, and we can't eat them. Unless you're a hillbilly or some crazy Special Forces commando. Of which I am neither.

 Haven't seen any megafauna, but this pilgrimage ain't done yet! Definitely want to see a boar or something, since that's my spirit animal and all. Fingers crossed!