Daisetsusan National Park's soaring mountains are home to about 250 species of alpine plants. Many, such as the hosoba uruppuso, are endemic to the region.
The foothills here are covered in vast forests of Yezo spruce and Todo fir. The animals that inhabit these areas include brown bears, Yezo stoats and Japanese pikas. You may also spot alpine butterflies unique to the Daisetsuzan mountain range, such as the usubakicho and Freija's fritillary.
Aleutian avens (Geum pentapetalum (L.) Makino) is an alpine shrub native to the mountains of Hokkaido. It has white, five-petaled blooms. Many can be seen on the fields of Susoaidaira in July.
The hosoba uruppuso (Lagotis yesoensis Tatew) is a perennial plant that grows on the moist gravel and grasslands of Daisetsuzan. It produces light purple flowers in mid-July.
The Japanese pika (Ochotona hyperborean yesoensis) is a small mammal that lives on rocky areas at high altitudes. It does not hibernate, and its reddish-brown fur turns greyish-brown in winter. Its Japanese name, naki-usagi, means "the singing rabbit."
The usubakicho (Parnassius eversmanni daisetsuzanus) is a member of the Asian swallowtail butterfly family. It has yellow, semi-transparent wings, and is one of the five species of alpine butterfly found in Hokkaido. The usubakicho lives only on the slopes of Daisetsuzan.
