Unlike the flora, the fauna of the Sinharaja
has received comparatively little attention, and descriptions of the fauna
had been limited to the occasional report had been limited to the occasional
report by enthusiasts. It was only as recently as 1981 that preliminary
systematic investigation were initiated. These studies were confined to the
western sector of the Reserve, the sector which had been seriously disturbed
by the logging project of the 1970's, and were carried out mainly to
determine the effects of logging and deforestation on small mammals. However,
during this project a determined effort was also made to identify and
inventorize the fauna in general, a very necessary task in view of the
scarcity of information.
To date, a check-list of 262vertebrate species has been complied which
includes 60 species endemic to Sri Lanka. Table 8 gives an analysis of the
fauna of Sinharaja in relation to the total fauna of Sinharaja in relation
to the total fauna of the Island. From this Table it is evident that there
is a high degree of representation of the island's fauna, particularly
endemic species at Sinharaja. At the moment, this check-list is the only one
all the major vertebrate groups found in a single location.
Table 8.
Endemic and non-endemic vertebrate fauna of Sinharaja |
|
in relation to the
fauna in Sri Lanka. |
|
Vertebrate
Group |
Total no. of
spa. in Sri Lanka |
No. of sps.
in Sinharaja |
% of sps. in
Sinharaja |
No. of
endemic sps. in Sri Lanka |
No. of
endemic sps. in Sinharaja |
% of endemic
sps. at Sinharaja |
% of endemics
out of total in sinharaja. |
Fish |
59 |
11 |
19% |
16 |
3 |
19% |
27% |
Amphibia |
37 |
20 |
54% |
19 |
10 |
53% |
50% |
Reptiles
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
65 |
16 |
25% |
34 |
6 |
18% |
36% |
79 |
29 |
37% |
38 |
15 |
39% |
52% |
Birds |
384 |
147 |
38% |
20 |
18 |
90% |
12% |
Mammals |
85 |
39 |
46% |
12 |
8 |
67% |
20% |
Total |
709 |
262 |
36% |
139 |
60 |
43% |
23% |
Mammals
In sinharaja, as in any rain
forest, the presence of larger mammals is indicated in the form of
droppings, tracks, calls ect. The terrain and structure of the forest,
however, make visual sightings comparatively difficult.
The Purple-faced leaf Monkey
is perhaps the most observable of the mammals. These monkey move in grounds
of 10 to 14, high up in forest canopy and their territorial calls echo for ,miles
around the forest. The Toque Monkey is rare the forest but is more commonly
observed in the peripheral areas.
  |
Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Presbytes
senex vetulus)
The
monkey locally called hali-wandura
(Presbytes senex
vetulus) is an endemic animal commonly found in this forest. It is
a vegetarian, feeding on leaves, fruits and flowers on top of the
canopy. |
Several large mammals are
characteristically terrestrial and feed off the forest floor. This group
includes herbivorous browsers and mixed feeders, such as the Wild Pig, the
Sambhur, the Mouse Deer and the Barking Deer. Although Elephants were common
in the periphery of the forest before the logging project, they have not
been sighted in the western sector since 1974. However, a small group has
been reported in the remnant grassland patches of the Handapan-Ella and
Thangamali plains which are contiguous with the northeastern part of the
forest.
The major carnivore of the
forest is the Leopard. Leopards are seldom sighted but their presence is
frequently confirmed by tracks and other sings. Genuinely rare are the
Rusty-spotted Cat and the Fishing Cat, while in the periphery of the forest.

Prionailurus rubiginosa (Rusty
Spotted Cat) |
Felis viverinnas
(Fishing Cat) |
Of the nocturnal species,
the two commonly recorded are the civets and the mongooses. Among these are
Civet, an endemic species, and the Striped-necked Mongoose. The Sighting of
the latter in 1982 was particularly in sinharaja are mainly rats, shrews and
squirrels. Several significant sightings have been made in this group. The
Bicoloured Rat and the Spiny Rat, both endemic genera, were found here, as
were the endemic species of shrews, the Long-tailed Shrew and the
Horsefield's Shrew. The Bi-coloured Rat and the Long-tailed Shrew have been
recorded earlier only at elevations of 1,000 meters and above. The records
for Sinharaja at 300 to 500 meters show that they have a considerably wider
distribution than thought earlier. The Horsefield's Shrew too had earlier
been recorded only in the eastern range of the central hills, hence the
sightings at Sinharaja mark the first record of its occurrence in the wet
lowlands.
The small mammals in
particular formed the focus of quantitative studies carried out in the early
1980's. the results of comparative studies in three different types of
habitats, viz. underscored the importance of undisturbed forests for
the survival of endemic species. "The Bicoloured Rat, for example, which was
predominant in natural sites disappeared at the slightest disturbance. This
indicated the high habitat sensitivity of species. On the other hand, the
species such as the spiny Rat appeared to be more adaptable and seemed able
to exploit natural forest gaps as well as disturbed sites such as logged
forest. There is also clear evidence that natural species are beging repidly
displaced by aggressive commensals such as the Bandicoot and the Common
House Rat.
There species of squirrels
are common in the forest, the Flame-striped Jungle Squirrel, the
Dusky-striped Jungle Squirrel and the Western Giant Squirrel. The latter is
an arboreal species; so is the Flying Squirrel seen at dusk. Among other
mammals recorded in the forest are the Porcupine and the Pangolin.
Bats are a characteristic
group of mammals in the Asian tropics. Six species have been recorded in
sinharaja, all of which are insectivorous species. It is interesting that
the familiar Flying Fox or Fruit Bat has not been recorded in the forest.
The only frugivorous species observed, the Short-nosed Fruit Bat has been
sighted at Kudawa, on the outskirts of the forest.
A
complete list of all mammals sighted at Sinharaja is given in
Table 9.
Table
9. Mammals of
the Sinharaja |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Large mammals |
Elephant |
Elephas maximus maximus |
Sambhur |
Cervus unicolour |
Barking Deer |
Muntiacus muntjak malabaricus |
Mouse Deer |
Tragulus meminna |
Wild Pig |
Sus scrofa cristatus |
Leopard |
Panthera pardus fusca |
Fishing Cat |
Zibethailurus viverrina |
Rusty Spotted Cat |
Prionailurus rubiginosa |
*Western Purple-Faced Leaf Monkey |
Presbytis senes vetulus |
Jackal |
Canis aureus lanka |
*Western Toque Macaque |
Macaca sinica aurifrons |
Small mammals |
**Sri Lanka Bi-coloured Rat |
Srilankamis ohiensis |
**Spiny Rat |
Coelomys mayori pococki |
House Rat |
Rattus rattus kandiyanus |
House Rat |
Rattus rattus kelaarti |
Greater Bandicoot Rat |
Bandicota indica |
Field Mouse |
Mus cervicolour fulvidiventris |
*Sri Lanka Long-tailed Shrew |
Crocidura miya |
Horsefield's Shrew |
Crocidura horsefieldi |
*House Shrew |
Suncus ceylanicus |
Western giant Squirrel |
Ratufa macroura melanochra |
Flame-striped Jungle Squirrel |
Funambulus layardi laysrdi |
Dusky-striped Jungle Squirrel |
Funambulus sublineatus obscurus |
Small Flying Squirrel |
Petynomys fuscocapillus layardi |
*Golden-palm Civet |
Paradoxurus zeylonensis |
Ringed-tail Civet |
Viverricula indica mayori |
Brown Mongoose |
Herpestes fuscus rubidior |
Stripe-necked Mongoose |
Herpestes vitticollis |
Otter |
Lutra lutra nair |
Porcupine |
Hystrix indica |
Pangolin |
Manis crassicaudata |
Forest Bats |
Rufous Horse-shoe Bat |
Rhinolophus rouxi rouxi |
Great Horse-shoe Bat |
Rhinolophus luctus sobrinus |
Great Leaf-nosed Bat |
Hipposideros lankadiva |
False Vampire Bat |
Megaderma spasma ceylonense |
Kelaart's Pipistrel Bat |
Pipistrellus ceylonicus |
Painted Bat |
Kirivoula picta |
Short-nosed Fruit Bat |
Cynopterus sphinx |
*
Endemic species ** Endemic genera |
Birds
The Sinharaja Reserve is rich in bird
life with an impressive 147 species recorded to date. It is also the
only locality where 18 out of 20 birds species endemic to Sri Lanka
may be viewed. Many of these endemic birds have been indicated in
Table 10 and Figure 11. Interestingly,
few endemic and other species thought to be confined to the
hill-zone have also been sighted at Sinharaja viz. the
White-eye, the Scaly Thrush (Zoothera dauma), the Wood Pigeon
(Columba torrigtoni), the Dusky Blue Flycatcher (Muscicapa
sordida) and the Yellow-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus penicillatus).
The wide variety of habitat-specific birds seen in Sinharaja is due
to the continuous expanse of forest ranging from 300 to 1,500
meters, which provides the habitat of the forest is comparatively
better studied than the other groups of animals. These studies
include an inventory of the species; more detailed studies on
population dynamics, feeding activity and other behavior patterns
are currently in progress.
Among the birds
recorded in the western sector of the Sinharaja, 13% were migrants.
Of the resident species, 18% were confined to the heavily forested
areas and 10% to village home-gardens and peripheral scrub areas. At
least 36% of the species were common to the forest as well as to
outside habitats. This is mainly due to the spread of secondary
scrub areas into the forest particularly along logging roads. Data
available indicates that most bird species are habitat sensitive and
likely to be eliminated if forest areas are disturbed. 56% of the
species are either rare or have low population densities. Of the 42%
classified as common, a large proportion, 68% were confined to
heavily forested undisturbed areas. Meanwhile, the International
Council for Birds Preservation (ICBP) world list of threatened bird
species for 1989, includes several species found at Sinharaja such
as the Blue Magpie, the White-headed Starling, the Ashy-headed
Babbler, the Green-billed Coucal, the Red-faced Malkoha, the
Spotted-winged Thrush and the Wood Pigeon.

Sri Lanka Blue
Magpie-(Urocissa ornata)
This beautiful
endemic bird is most appropriately called locally as "Kehibella"-meaning
"beautiful damsel of the forest" according to same
etymologists it is a social species living in small groups of
4 - 6 individuals outside the breeding season. During the
breeding season the pairs move out but remain not far away
from the rest of its social members. they feed mainly on
insects, small lizards ect. Its distribution is confined to
the forest away from human habitations. |
Mixed species
bird flocks are one of the most interesting experiences of the
forest. This peculiar aggregation of birds, is thought to be a
strategy for improving feeding efficiency and protection
against predators. Observations made on at least 100 such
flock at Sinharaja, revel that over 40 species of birds,
including 12 endemic species, participate in flocks (Table
10). Bird flocks shows a distribution pattern that corresponds
closely with the stratified vegetation structure. Different
groups of species occupy the forest floor, undergrowth, mid
canopy and high canopy (Figure 11). Flocks are also regularly
accompanied by animals such as the Giant Squirrel, the Jungle
Squirrel, the Purple-faced Leaf Monkey and the Mouse Deer.
Bird ringing
has also been carried out regularly at Sinharaja since 1983,
mainly to determine the home-range of bird species. So far 164
birds belonging to 32 species have been ringed. This method is
also useful for the study of migrant species. In the Sinharaja,
three important migrant species have been captured, the
Layard's Flycatcher, the Indian Blue Chat and the Broen Shrike.
These were recaptured in the same location during successive
year, indicating site specificity of species during migration.
|
|
|
Table
10.
Status of participant species in the mixed-species foraging bird
flocks. |
Flock Status |
Common Name |
Species Name |
Percentage
occurrence in flocks |
|
Crested Drongo |
Dicrurus paradiseus |
86 |
*Sri Lanka Rufous Babbler |
Turdoides rufescens |
82 |
*Yellow-fronted Barbet |
Megalaima flavifrons |
73 |
*Sri Lanka White-eye |
Zosterops ceylonensis |
63 |
Yellow-browed Bulbul |
Hypsipetes indicus |
61 |
*White-headed Starling |
Sturnus senex |
53 |
Regular |
Trogon |
Harpactes fasciatus |
47 |
Orange Minivet |
Pericrocotus flammeus |
46 |
Yellow-naped Woodpecker |
Picus chlorolophus |
46 |
Red-faced Malkoha |
Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus |
45 |
*Ashy-headed Babbler |
Garrulax cinereifrons |
42 |
Azure Flycatcher |
Monarcha azurea |
39 |
Pied Shrike |
Hemipus picatus |
36 |
Black-fronted Babbler |
Rhopocichla atriceps |
34 |
*Legge's Flowerpecker |
Dicaeum vincens |
33 |
Tickell's Flowerpecker |
Dicaeum erythrorhynchos |
33 |
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch |
Sitta frontalis |
31 |
Occasional |
*Layard's Parakeet |
Psittacula calthorpae |
29 |
Black-capped Bulbul |
Pycnonotus melanicterus |
29 |
Southern Scimitar Babbler |
Pomatorhinus horsfieldii |
25 |
Black Bulbul |
Hypsipetes madagascariensis |
23 |
Crimson-backed Woodpecker |
Chrysocolaptes lucidus |
23 |
Rare |
Purple-rumped Sunbird |
Nectarinia zeylonica |
17 |
*Sri Lanka Grackle |
Gracula ptilogenys |
16 |
Greenish Tree-Warbler |
Phylloscopus trochiloides |
14 |
*Sri Lanka Lorikeet |
Loriculus beryllinus |
12 |
Orange-breasted Blue Flycatcher |
Muscicapa tickelliae |
12 |
White-vented Drongo |
Dicrurus caerulescens |
11 |
Very rare |
Common Iora |
Aegithina tiphia |
10 |
Large-billed Tree-Warbler |
Phylloscopus magnirostris |
08 |
Grey Tit |
Parus major |
07 |
Gold-fronted Chloropsis |
Chloropsis aurifrons |
07 |
Black-headed Oriole |
Oriolus xanthornus |
07 |
Paradise-Flycatcher |
Terpsiphone paradisi |
03 |
*Spotted-winged Thrush |
Zoothera spiloptera |
02 |
Bronze-winged Dove |
Chalcophaps indica |
02 |
Red-winged Crested-Cuckoo |
Clamator coromandus |
1 |
White-backed Munia |
Lonchura striata |
1 |
Brown Shrike |
Lanius criststus |
1 |
Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike |
Coracina melanoptera |
1 |
*Sri Lanka Brown-capped Babbler |
Pellorneum fuscocapillum |
1 |
Indian Blue Chat |
Erithacus brunneus |
1 |
|
Figure 11.
Distribution of birds within the forest canopy. |
 |
|
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
1 Crested Serpent-Eagle |
Spilornis cheela |
23 *Sri Lanka Rufous Babbler |
(F) |
2 Mountain Hawk-Eagle |
Spizaetus nipalensis |
24 Southern Scimitar Babbler |
(F) |
3 Black Eagle |
Ictinaetus malayensis |
25 Purple-rumped Sunbird |
(F) |
4 Black Bulbul |
(F) |
26 *Green-billed Coucal |
Centropus Chlororhynchus |
5 *Whire-headed Starling |
(F) |
27 Yellow-browed Bulbul |
(F) |
6 Broad-billed Roller |
Eurystomus orientalis |
28 Black-capped Bulbul |
(F) |
7 *Sri Lanka Lorikeet |
(F) |
29 Trogon |
(F) |
8 *Sri Lanka Grackle |
(F) |
30 Common Iora |
(F) |
9 Red-faced Malkoha |
(F) |
31 Velvet-fronted Nuthatch |
(F) |
10 *Layard's Parakeet |
(F) |
32 Crimson-backed Woodpecker |
(F) |
11 Orange Minivet |
(F) |
33 Yellow-naped Woodpecker |
(F) |
12 Crested Drongo |
(F) |
34 *Ashy-headed Babbler |
(F) |
13 White-vented Drongo |
(F) |
35 Orange-brested Blue Flycatcher |
(F) |
14 Grey Tit |
(F) |
36 Black-fronted Babbler |
(F) |
15 Gold-fronted Chloropsis |
(F) |
37 *Sri Lanka Brown-capped Babbler |
(F) |
16 *Yellow-fronted Barbet |
(F) |
38 *Spotted-winged Thrush |
(F) |
17 Pied Shrike |
(F) |
39 *Sri Lanka Spurfowl |
Galloperdix bicalcarata |
18 *Sri Lanka Blue Magpie |
Cissa ornata |
40 *Sri Lanka Junglefoel |
Gallus lafayettii |
19 Azure Flycatcher |
(F) |
|
20 *Sri Lanka White-Eye |
(F) |
21 *Legge's Flowerpecker |
(F) |
22 Crested Goshawk |
Accipiter trivirgatus |
|
Reptiles
The
reptilian fauna of Sinharaja is represented by 45 species, of while 21
are endemic. This includes a large proportion of snakes, several lizards,
tortoises and skinks (Table 9). Among the snakes, two very rare species
have been recorded. These are the burrowing fossorial species
Rhinophis tricolorata and Haploceros ceylonensis. Rhinophis
was first described as recently as 1975 and was sighted at Sinharaja in
1982, the first time it was found in the wild. Haploceros was
considered to be a rare montane species found at elevations of 1,700 to
2,300 meters, until it was recorded in Sinharaja at elevations of 300 to
500 meters
Among
the venomous species that occur in the forest are the Green-pitviper
while is arboreal, the Hump-nosed Viper and the Krait while frequents
the forest floor. The Cobra is seen occasionally while the Russel's
Viper has been observed in secondary vegetation, although not seen in
the undisturbed forest.
Among
the lizards, the commonest is the familiar Green Garden Lizard. Several
rare and endemic species of lizards are found in the forest (Table 11).
Among these are Calotes liopepis, an arboreal species while is
one of the rarest the island, the Hump-nosed Lizard, the largest lizard
in the island; the Earless Lizard and the Rough-nose Horned Lizard are
species of the forest floor with very restricted distribution being
confined to undisturbed rain forests. A few species of geckos are also
common.
The skinks found in the wet-zone of Sri Lanka are of evolutionary significance.
The five genera of limbless lizards or the Acintoniae exhibit a
progressive series from limbed to limbless forms. The only other centres
of distribution of these genera are Madagascar and South Africa. In the
Sinharaja, this group is represented by Nessia burtoni or the
Three-toed Skink, an endemic genus. However, it is most likely that
several more species of unidentified skinks may be present. |
Table 11. Some
common and important reptiles of Sinharaja.
Common Name |
Species Name |
Snakes |
*Green-pit Viper |
Trimerasurus trinoncephalus |
Merrem's Hump-nosed Viper
|
Hypnale hypnale |
Walli's Hump-nosed Viper |
Hypnale walli |
Russell's Viper |
Vipera russelli |
*Sri Lanka Krait |
Bungarus ceylonicus |
Common Cobra |
Naja naja |
*Sri Lanka Wolf-snake
|
Cercaspis carinatus |
*Barnes Cat Snake |
Boiga barnesi |
*Kukri snake |
Oligodon calamarius |
*Dumeril's Kukri Snake |
Oligodon sublinensis |
**Blossom Krait |
Balanophis ceylonensis |
**Drummond-hays Rough Snake |
Aspidura drummondhayi |
*Gunther's Bronze-back |
Dendrelaphis caudolineolatus |
Green-whip Snake |
Dryophis nasutus |
Brown-speckled Whip Snake |
Dryophis pulverulentus |
Ornate Flying Snake |
Chrysopelea ornata |
*Chequered Keelback |
Xenochrophis asperrimus |
Python |
Python molurus |
*Sri Lanka Pipe Snake |
Cylindrophis maculatus |
*Deraniyagala's Earth Snake |
Rhinophis tricolorata |
**Black-spined Snake |
Haplocercus
ceylonensis |
Lizards and Geckoes |
Green Garden Lizerd |
Calotes calotes |
*- |
Calotes liolepis |
**Hump-nosed Lizard |
Lyiocephalus scutatus |
*Earless Lizard |
Otriocephalus scutatus |
**Rough-nose Horned Lizard |
Ceratophora aspera |
*Great Forest Gecko |
Gymnodactylus frenatus |
Jungle Gecko |
Cnemaspis kandianus |
Water Monitor |
Varanus monitor |
Skinks |
Rat-snake Skink |
Mabuya carinata |
Spotted Skink |
Mabuya macularia |
Smooth Skink |
Sphenomorphus taprobanensis |
**Three-toed Snake Skink |
Nessia burtoni |
|
* Endemic species |
** Endemic genera |
Amphibians
The rain forest is the
habitat parexcellence for amphibians. It is not surprising therefore
that half the total number of amphibian species in sri Lanka and nearly
half the endemic amphibian are represented in Sinharaja. These
amphibians are mainly frogs and toads and a single limbless form
(Table 12).
Table 12. Amphibians of Sinharaja.
Common Name |
Species Name |
*Wrinkled Frog |
Rana corrugata |
Sri Lanka Reed Frog |
Rana greeni |
*Lesser Wood Frog |
Rana aurantiaca |
*Slender Wood frog |
Rana gracilis |
**Guenther's Cliff Frog |
Nannophrys guentheri |
*Sharp nosed Tree Frog |
Rhacophorus nasutus |
Small-eared Tree Frog |
Rhacophorus microtympanum |
*Greater Hourglass Tree Frog |
Rhacophorus cruciger |
*Wrinkled Tree Frog |
Philautus schmardanus |
Variable Tree Frog |
Philautus variabilis |
Lesser Sharp-nosed Tree Frog |
Philautus nasutus |
*Red Ramanella |
Ramnella palmata |
Common Toad |
Bufo melanostictus |
*Torrent Toad |
Bufo kelaartii |
*Yellow-banned Caecillian |
Ichthyophys glutinosus |
*Endemic
species |
**Endemic
genera |
|
|

Wrinkled Frog
(Rana corrugata) |

Greater Hourglass
Tree Frog
(Rhacophorus cruciger) |

Reed Frog
(Rana greeni) |

Torrent Toad
(Buffo kelaartii) |
One of the commonest
frogs in the forest is the Wrinkled Frog heard frequently from marshes
and streams. Several species of tree frogs and the Reed frog while has a
call similar to that of a bird can be heard distinctively at night.
The moist environment is
conducive for the Sharp-nosed Tree Frog to lay its eggs in a nest of
foam on the underside of Cardamom leaves overhanging a stream. This
enables the young tadpoles to drop straight into the water when they
hatch out. The Lesser Sharpnosed Tree Frog adopts a different strategy.
It lays eggs on leaf little where rain water has accumulated. The life
cycle is completed within the egg thereby avoiding a free swimming
tadpole stage. Others such as Ramnella palmata live their whole
life cycle in tree rot holes filled with rain water. The Guenther's
Cliff Frog inhabits vertical rock faced covered with dripping water. the
young tadpoles are adapted to living on the wet rock face. These
strategies among the amphibia could only be possible in an ever-wet
environment. The discovery of Guenther's Cliff Frog in 1982 is
particularly significant because its sighting at Sinharaja is the first
since the type specimen was collected in 1890.
The Yellow-banded
Caecilian the only limbless amphibian recorded at Sinharaja, inhabits
marshy edges and lives under the wet earth.
Fish
The fish show little
diversity with only three species commonly occurring in all forest
streams. All these species are endemic to the island. The Comb-tail (Belontia
signata) with red tinted fins and tail is found slow moving streams.
The Stone-sucker (Garra lamata ceylonensis) is found clinging to
rocks where if feeds on moss and the striped loach (Neomachilus
notostigma) is found among the leaf little at the bottom of streams.
Invertebrate Fauna
Although the forest
teems with all kinds of insects and other invertebrate fauna, very
little information is available on these groups of animals. So far only
two groups of insect have been considered in depth viz.
mosquitoes and butterflies. However, the Sinharaja has featured
prominently in surveys of Sri Lanka insect fauna conducted by the
Smithsonian Institution. It is evident from these studies that there is
much scope for detailed investigations of the invertebrates.
Studies on the mosquito
fauna have shown that at least 27 species have been recorded as adults.
The majority, 21 species, were found to breed in surface water sources.
The rest used more specialised habitats for breeding. For instance
Orthopodomia flavithorax and Culex uniforms breed in tree rot
holes filled with water, while C. uniformis and Tripteroides
affinis and a few other species use water filled bamboo culms. The
most fascinating of all, are the two species Tripteroides dofleini
and Armigeres magnus that breed exclusively within the
pitcher of Nepenthes distillatoria.
The butterfly fauna of
the forest has only been listed, and so far 65 species have been
recorded in the western sector of the forest. These include 2 endemic
species and 19 endemic subspecies (Table 13).
Among the common and more interesting butterflies one comes across in
the forest are the Tree Nymph, a large black and white butterfly that
inhabits the forest canopy, the Common Bird-wing reputed to be the
largest butterfly in the country, the Clipper, the Cruiser and the most
beautiful of all, the iridescent Blue-banded Peacock. One of the rarest
species in Sri Lanka, the Five bar Swordtail, can also be seen during
the months of March and April, the season of butterfly migration
 |
Of some
65 butterfly species the Blue Mormom (Papilio crino) is the
commonest one recorded in the Sinharaja Forest. The others include
two endemic species and 19 endemic sub-species. One of the common
and interesting butterflies that one comes across in the forest is
the large black and white tree nymph, reputed to be the largest
butterfly in the country. |

|
Table 13. A few common and interesting
butterflies of Sinharaja.
Common Name |
Species Name |
*Sri Lanka Tree Nymph |
Idea lynceus jasonia |
Glassy Tiger |
Danaus aglea aglea |
Common Bushbrown |
Mycalesia perseus typhlus |
*Sri Lanka Common Birdwing |
Troides helena darsius |
*Sri Lanka Clipper |
Parthenos sylvia cyaneus |
Common Banded Peacock |
Papilio crino |
*Sri Lanka Blue Mormon |
Papilio polymnestor parinda |
Common Mormon |
Papilio polytes romulus |
*Sri Lanka Red Helen |
Papilio helenus mooreanus |
*Sri Lanka Five-bar Swordtail |
Graphium antiphates ceylonicus |
*Sri Lanka Blue Oakleaf |
Kallima philarchus philarchus |
Great Eggfly |
Hypolimnas bolina |
Danaid Crow |
Euploea sp. |
Redspot Duke |
Euthalia evelina evelina |
*
Endemic species
Of the insects at
sinharaja, of species interest are two endemic species of wasps of the
family Loboscelidae. They are parasitic on Stick insects. The Sinharaja
is the only known location where they have been recorded from the Asian
region, the other centres of distribution of this family being New
Guinea and Australia.

Giant pill-box
millipede
(Arthosheaera
versicolor) |
Of the invertebrate
forms, the land leech Haemadipsa ceylanica is the one most
frequently encountered, a fact that becomes all too evident to any
visitor to the Sinharaja. Several other commonly encountered species are
worthy of mention; the Giant earthworm (Megascoles coeruleus) at
least half a metre in length, and three centimeters in diameter and deep
three centimeters in diameter and deep blue in colour, the Giant
millipede (Spirostreptus sp.) and the Giant pill-box millipede (Arthosheaera
versicolor). One of the commonest spiders encountered is the Giant
woodspider (Nephila maculata). The large and beautiful spider
seen on the web is the female while the small almost unnoticeable little
red spider is the male. Several species of Tarantula (Poccilotheria
spp.) are also common in the forest. At night the Scorpion (Heterometrus
spp.) can be seen along the logging roads and skid trails.
Giant
woodspider
(Nephila
maculata) |
|
Forest cricket
(Holochlora
albiba) |
|
Future Directions
Although faunal studies
have been established only recently, scientists and students have begun
to show great interest in continuing the research work. It is hoped
therefore that all forms of fauna would soon be under systematic
surveillance and study. Existing base-line data on the vertebrates
should be completed by conducting similar inventories for the relatively
undisturbed eastern sector of the reserve. Detailed studies of their
population and distribution are vital if these species are to be
conserved. Meanwhile, systematic studies on invertebrates should be
stepped up since many new species await discovery.
Read
THE MAN
& SINHARAJA |
|