Wildlife of Sri Lanka
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Wildlife of Sri Lanka |
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The wildlife of Sri Lanka includes its
Ecological zones
The mountains and the southwestern part of the country, known as the "wet zone", receive ample rainfall (an annual average of 2500 millimeters). Most of the southeast, east, and northern parts of the country comprise the "dry zone", which receives between 1200 and 1900 mm of rain annually.
Forestry
Faunal diversity
Described species of fauna
The most recent update on the Sri Lankan biodiversity was the 6th National Report of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This report provided an updated list of species as of the end 2018. However, in 2019, 54 new species were described: including 26 spiders, (14 cellar spiders, 7 jumping spiders, 4 crab spiders and 1 tarantula), 1 scorpion species, 5 mites and ticks, 14 reptiles (13 day geckos and 1 snake), 1 shrub frog, 1 orchid and 6 lichens. Later in 2021, Professors Devaka Weerakoon and Amila Sumanapala released an updated list of taxa as of the end of 2020.[3][4]
Group | Class | No. of species | Endemic species | Endemism |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vertebrates | Mammalia |
135 | 19 | 16.8% |
Aves |
515 | 34 | 11.89% | |
Reptilia |
243 | 158 | 65.33% | |
Amphibia |
120 | 107 | 91.66% | |
Freshwater fish |
124 | 58 | 53.76% | |
Marine fish |
1,387 | 0 | 0% | |
Invertebrates | Gastropoda | 5246 | ||
Insecta |
11,144 | |||
Araneae |
383 | 271 | 70.75% | |
Scorpiones |
18 | 7 | 38.88% | |
Crustacea |
51 | 51 | 100% | |
Echinodermata |
76 | 1 | 100% | |
Plants | Angiosperms |
3,120 | 904 | 16.8% |
Bryophyta | 575 | 0 | 0% | |
Lycophyta |
390+ | 47 | 100% | |
Jungermanniales | 296 | 0 | 0% |
Vertebrates
Mammals
Sri Lanka is home to roughly 123
Reptiles
Sri Lanka currently contains 185 species of
Flooding has led to increased human-crocodile conflict around the Nilwala River, with crocodiles often becoming trapped as floodwaters recede. Such floods are becoming exacerbated by climate change.[6]
Amphibians
Sri Lanka has one of the richest diversity of
Birds
Sri Lanka is home to 227 species of birds (though some past estimates put it as high as 486[7]), 46 of which are threatened (10 critically).[5]
Fish
Sri Lanka contains 93 species of
Insects
Insects belonging to all 32 orders except
Major insects
Hymenopterans, which includes ants,
True flies and
Minor insects
The exact species for other orders is still not classified and documented. Walker in 1861, listed 2,007 species belongs to 9 orders and Haly on 1890 identified 1,510 beetle species from Sri Lanka. However, after many publications from many foreign entomologists, two Sri Lankan entomologists, Anura Wijesekara and D. P. Wijesinghe documented 11,144 insect species belongs to 30 orders from Sri Lanka in 2003.[9][8]
Only 4 species of order
Sri Lanka is known to be home to 794 species of
Crustaceans
Freshwater crabs
All 51 species along with 5 genera in the family Gecarcinucidae are endemic to Sri Lanka. 98% of those crabs are IUCN categorized as threatened, endangered or critically endangered.
Isopods
Isopods occur abundantly in the sea, freshwater and land. They typically flattened dorsoventrally and mostly scavengers. Sri Lanka harbors 92 species of isopods of 53 genera in 23 families.
Mangrove crabs
The exact number of species around mangroves and estuaries within coastal marine regions is not clear, but during research on diversity of mangrove crabs in Kadolkele, Negombo, five species were identified, with two new species.[10] Most marine crabs are much larger and are often caught in fishing nets. They are edible with high protein. Some of marine edible crabs from Sri Lanka are:[11]
- Charybdis natator
- Episesarma versicolor
- Metopograpsus messor
- Metopograpsus thukuhar
- Neosarmatium smithi
- Perisesarma guttatum
- Portunus armatus
- Portunus sanguinolentus
- Scylla serrata
- Thalamita crenata
Molluscs
There are over 246 land gastropods of Sri Lanka, of which 83% are endemic. Sub class Pulmonata consists of 159 species within 23 families and subclass Prosobranchia by 88 species in four families. Five land snail genera, Ravana, Ratnadvipia, Acavus, Oligospira and Aulopoma are endemic to Sri Lanka with 14 species in them.[12][13] Thirteen more genera such as Ruthvenia, Thysanota, Cryptozona, Euplecta, Mariaella, Eurychlamys, Corilla, Beddomea, Trachia, Leptopomoides, Micraulax, Tortulosa and Nicida are only in the Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka. 18 species are recorded as exotic species and agricultural pests.
Fauna of Sri Lanka also include freshwater snails. The number of marine molluscs of Sri Lanka is not known, though there were about 240 species listed in 2006.[14]
Myriapods
The diversity of subphylum Myriapoda, is not well studied in Sri Lanka. The facts and checklists of these creatures date back to Newport in 1845, which is the first known study about centipedes. Many centipede works are more than a century old.[15] Millipede diversity is much better studied. Currently, 104 species of millipedes and 19 species of centipedes are known from Sri Lanka.[16]
Arachnids
Spiders
The detailed work on Sri Lankan spiders was through the Checklist of Spiders of South Asia Including 2006 Revision of Indian Spider Checklist by Manju Siliwal and Sanjay Molur. This checklist provided all the described spider species of South Asia and part of South-East Asia as well.[17]
According to this checklist, Sri Lanka has 501 species of spiders belonging to 45 families and 213 genera. Out of these, 250 are endemic with 22 endemic genera.[8]
Ant-mimicking spiders
Spiders in genus
Tarantulas
There are 8 species of tarantula that have been recorded in Sri Lanka. When considering with the Indian subcontinent, 15 species of Poecilotheria are recorded from both countries; 7 endemics from India and 7 endemics from Sri Lanka. 1 species is found in both countries.
Scorpions
There are 18 species of scorpions in Sri Lanka. Out of these 18, 7 are endemic. In addition, 4 subspecies of the 9 non-endemic species are also endemic to Sri Lanka.
According to 2014 research, 47 species of pseudoscorpions have been identified in Sri Lanka. Out of this 43 species, 20 species are endemic to Sri Lanka.
The diversity of lesser arachnids within Sri Lanka is not extensive. Some observations on particular species have been undertaken by some local and foreign scientists. According to them, there are 3 species of
Ticks and mites
Ticks belong to superfamily
Echinoderms
Echinoderms belong to the phylum
Flora
Loxococcus, a monotypic genus consisting of the sole species Loxococcus rupicola, is the only palm (Arecaceae) genus that is endemic to Sri Lanka.[22] A new Gesneriaceae species Henckelia wijesundarae, endemic to Hiniduma, Galle, was described and illustrated in 2016 by Subhani Ranasinghe et al.[23]
In 2020, a species of orchid Gastrodia gunatillekeorum was described from Sinharaja.[24] In the same year, several other plants were first described: one species of seagrass: Halophila major and six species of liverworts; Lejeunea sordida, Leptolejeunea subdentata, Spruceanthus polymorphus, Frullania udarii, Heteroscyphus turgidus and Fuscocephaloziopsis lunulifolia. With that , the total number of leafy liverwort species in Sri Lanka increased to 296 in 63 genera. In the meantime, a species of fungus, Helvella crispa, was also identified from Sri Lanka.[4]
Lichens
Sri Lankan environmentalist, Dr.
Currently, more than 400 species of lichens are found in Sri Lanka.See also
References
- ^ "Biological diversity of Sri Lanka". Young Biologist Association, Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
- ^ Manakadan, Ranjit; Khan, Asif N. (March 2020). "Birds of the Indian Subcontinent ─ In a Nutshell". Buceros. 24 (2 & 3). BNHS-ENVIS.
- ^ "Attractions of Sri Lanka". seeceylontours.com. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ a b "Report on the new species discoveries from Sri Lanka in 2020". Loris. June 2021. pp. 14–20. Retrieved 2021-08-22 – via ResearchGate.
- ^ ISBN 978-955-8177-63-1. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
- ^ Malaka Rodrigo (5 January 2024). "As Sri Lanka floods swell with climate change, so does human-crocodile conflict". Mongabay. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ISBN 978-955-8177-51-8.
- ^ ISBN 9789558177518. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ Anura Wijesekara1 et D. P. Wijesinghe, « History of insect collection and a review of insect diversity in Sri Lanka », Cey. J. Sci. (Bio.Sci.), vol. 31, 2003, p. 43-59 pdf
- ^ Priyadarshani, S.H.R. "Diversity of mangrove crabs in Kadolkele, Negombo Estuary, Sri Lanka" (PDF). slafar. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ "The status of Diversity and Species Composition of Crabs in Navanthurai Coastal Area in Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka" (PDF). Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ^ Naggs F., Raheem D. C., Mordan P. B., Grimm B., Ranawana K. B. & Kumburegama N. P. S. (2003). "Ancient relicts and contemporary exotics: faunal change and survivorship in Sri Lanka's snail fauna". Slugs & Snails: Agricultural, Veterinary & Environmental Perspectives, British Crop Protection Council Symposium Proceedings No. 80, 103 - 108.
- ISBN 955-8177-51-2.
- ISBN 955-8177-51-2.
- ^ Dissanayake, Duminda. S.B. "Records of centipede fauna of Sri Lanka" (PDF). repository.rjt.ac.lk. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ De Zoysa, H.K.S. "Annotated checklist of millipedes (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) of Sri Lanka". Research Gate. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ Molur, Sanjay; Siliwal, Manju. "Checklist of Spiders of South Asia". p. 47. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- PMID 31715829. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ^ "The irregular echinoids of Sri Lanka". Proceedings of Wayamba University Research Congress 2017. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
- ^ "Unique and threatened biodiversity". Biodiversity Hotspots. Conservation International. Archived from the original on 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ^ "Forest Resources". Food and Agriculture Organization. 2001. Retrieved 2009-09-15.
- ISBN 978-1-84246-182-2.
- S2CID 89271266.
- S2CID 216214597. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
- ^ "Environmentalist discovers 51 species of Lichen". News First. 8 December 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "The fascinating world of the lichens". Ceylon Today. 2015-03-22. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "Two new Lichens from Horton Plains". The Sunday Times. 18 March 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
Bibliography
- Channa N. B. Bambaradeniya, ed. (2006). Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. Colombo, Sri Lanka: The World Convservation Union. p. 308. ISBN 955-8177-51-2.
- Herat, T. R. Somaratna, S. & Pradeepa, (1998). Common Vegetables of Sri Lanka. NARESA, Sri Lanka.
- Herat, T. R. (2005). Tentative Keys to the Families & Genera of Pteridophytes of Sri Lanka. Self published.
- Herat, T. R. & Ratnayake, P. (2005). An Illustrated Guide to the Fern Flora of Knuckles Conservation Area Sri Lanka. Self published.
- Herat, T. R. (2005). Endemic Flowering Plants, Part I: A Checklist & an Index to A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon. Self published.
- Herat, T. R. (2007). Endemic Flowering Plants of Sri Lanka Part II: A, Index to the Distribution of Plants with Localities. Environmental Ministry Colombo.
- Herat, T. R. (2007). Endemic Flowering Plants of Sri Lanka Part II: B, Index to the Distribution within Agro Ecological Zones. Environmental Ministry Colombo.
- Herat, T. R. & Herat, A. U. (2008). Index to the Distribution of Ferns & Fern-Allies within the Administrative Districts of Sri Lanka. Self published.