The beetle not The Beatles

Today, as I walked out of my apartment, I saw this guy or gal sitting on the moss next to the tree in the parking lot of my apartment complex. I couldn't resist taking its picture.

Since I live in Tokyo, Japan, I've noticed the lack of wildlife that exists here. It's almost creepy to see nothing but people. There are no lizards, no snakes, no interesting birds, no ducks in ponds, no wild turkeys, no coyotes, no foxes, no raccoons, no squirrels, no prairie dogs, no wild alligators, no bunny rabbits, no anything. Since I'm a Texan, through and through, it's hard for me to live in a place where nothing exists but people. It's almost like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. It's eerily quiet here, with the exception of car horns and diesel engines blaring. There are no wildlife sounds.

The only creatures that do exist are pigeons, crows, ants, giant cockroaches, and the occasional beetle or praying mantis. And this really bothers me!

So, when I see a live creature moseying around, I feel compelled to capture it on my camera. It might be another year before I see a live creature again!