The Hidden Natural Treasures of Sinharaja Forest, Lanka: Snaps in 2014

Roshan Quintus

I was invited to participate in a  YZA Field trip to Sinharaja in 2014 as I was working on a wildlife protection related campaign. YZA office bearers and senior members conducted this field trip. Professional veteran naturalists and environmentalists Messrs Jagath Gunawardane, Uditha Hettige, Isuru De Zoysa, Pubudu  Weerarathne, and Parami Vidyarathne were among the resource persons.

A NOTE by Michael Roberts:  VISIT http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/284224/ for toher dimensions of Roshan’s ‘work’.

Jayaba Jinasena

Sinharaja Rain Forest – Sri LankaSinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO

 Hump-nosed Lizard / Hump Snout Lizard / Lyreshead Lizard / “Kandukara Bodilima “ – Lyriocephalus scutatusThe only species in the genus Lyriocephalus. It is the largest agamid endemic to Sri Lanka. lives in dense wet zone

Sri Lanka blue magpie / Ceylon magpie – Urocissa ornate….It is a member of the crow family and a species of a dense wet evergreen temperate rain forest. It is largely carnivorous, eating small frogs, lizards, insects and other invertebrates, but will eat fruit. Blue Magpie is classified as Vulnerable (VU)

Common Leopard. Subspecies: Phalanta phalantha phalantha Drury – Oriental Common Leopard

Lantern-flie – Pyrops maculate The family Fulgoridae is a large group of hemipteran insects, especially abundant and diverse in the tropics, containing over 125 genera worldwide.

 Wood Fungi

 Ananas comosus – Gal Annasi  (young fruit)

 The brown-patched kangaroo lizard – Otocryptis wiegmanni / Sri Lankan kangaroo lizard or Wiegmann’s agama, is a small, ground-dwelling agamid lizard endemic to Sri Lanka.

 Sharp-snouted shrub frog (Pseudophilautus cuspis) frog is active both day and night and during the daytime it can be found among leaf litter on the ground. Vocalizing males can be found on branches and leaves above the forest floor during the night. Frog growing up to 3cm. Endemic frog found only in wet zone rain forests of Sri Lanka. This frog is given the Latin name ‘Cuspis’ due to its sharp snout. Habitats are limited to few places especially in Sinharaja forest. Habitat loss is the major threat for this frog and the IUCN status is ‘Threatened’.

Male wood Spider

 Female wood spider

Spirostreptus centrurus / Giant millliped

Orange-tailed Marsh Dart (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum)

Green pit viper / Sri Lankan pit viper – rimeresurus trigonocephalus . Moderately venomous snake endemic to Sri Lanka.

The Phasmatodea (or Phasmida), are known around the world as walking sticks, stick bugs, stick insects, and ghost insects. Their adaptation of natural camouflage make them exceptionally difficult to spot.There are over 3000 known species around the world, but are most abundantly found in tropical areas

 Wild berries

 Water snake

Leschenault’s Snake Eye / Leschenault’s Cabrita / Ophisops leschenaultia is a species of lacertid lizard / Skink. Hikanala / Heeraluw

   Green Vine Snake

 Acavus Superbus

  Ceylon forest Lizard – Calotes calotes

Roshan Quintus