About Sri Lanka

Flora and Fauna

A large variety of mammals, reptiles and birds make up the rich wildlife of Sri Lanka. You can explore our wildlife sanctuary parks in Yala, Udawalawe, Sinharaja, Udawattekele and Wasgamuwa.

Mammals of Sri Lanka

There are 86 mammals found in Sri Lanka. Out of these, 16 are endemic to the island. The Sri Lankan elephant holds a special place in the animal kingdom. One often meets elephant herds in parks such as Gal Oya and Udawalawe.

Other exotic creatures found commonly are:
Anteater, Barking Deer, Buffalo, Civet Cat, Elk, Fishing Cat, Giant Squirrel, Hog, Jackal, Jungle Cat, Leopard, Loris, Mongoose, Mouse Deer, Porcupine, Rusty Spotted Cat, Sambhur, Sloth Bear, Spotted Deer and Wild Boar.

There are many varieties of monkeys in Sri Lanka, including:
The Red-faced Macaque, Grey Langur, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (the Bear-Monkey) and Shaggy Bear-Monkey are some of the endemic monkeys.

Fish, Frog and Reptiles in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has 54 species of fish, most of which are marsh and river-dwelling varieties. The beautiful Carplet group comprises the 14 endemic species. These are restricted to the perennial wet-zone streams. The Rainbow and Brown Trout are found in the cold, clear waters of the 7000 ft. high Horton Plains.

There are 38 species of amphibia found in Sri Lanka. Out of these, 16 are unique to the island. Nannophyrs, an endemic genus, is found in the Hill Country.

From the large variety of reptiles found here, 75 of them are endemic. The Saltwater Crocodile, Star Tortoise, Leatherback Turtle, Rock Python, Water Monitor and Land Lizard.

Five of the 83 species of snake found here are lethal. These are the:
Cobra, Russell's Viper, Indian Krait, Ceylon Krait and Saw-scaled Viper.

Sri Lankan Birds and Butterflies

Sri Lanka has recorded more than 468 species of birds. There are a total of 339 species found in Sri Lanka and a further 169 species of migrant birds. Siberian, Scandinavian and Western European birds such as Sandpipers, Stilts, Plovers, Tern and Kites fly over and settle along the lagoons and salterns of the Eastern, North-Western and South-Eastern coasts around mid August.

There are 26 species of endemic birds. These are:
Ceylon Spurfowl, Ceylon Junglefowl, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Ceylon Lorikeet, Layard's Parakeet, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal, Chestnut-backed Owlet, Ceylon Grey Hornbill, Yellow-fronted Barbet, Ceylon Small Barbet, Black-capped Bulbul, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Ceylon Whistling Thrush, Spotted-winged Thrush, Ceylon Warbler, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Brown-capped Babbler, Ceylon Rufous Babbler, Ashy-headed laughingThrush, Legge's Flowerpecker, Ceylon Hill White-eye, Ceylon Blue Magpie, Ceylon White-headed Starling, Ceylon Hill Myna and Ceylon Hill Munia.

Most of the 242 species of butterflies in Sri Lanka are found in the lower foothills (about 3000 feet above sea-level). About 6 species live at an elevation of 4000 ft. In March-April a spectacular seasonal migration occurs.