Wildlife and plants of Sri Lanka
For one small island, Sri Lanka packs an enormous variety
of wildlife, flowering plants and trees. This is largely
because in that small space there is a wide range in
altitude. The Central Highlands of the Hill Country
rise to over 2500m with damp evergreen forests, cool
uplands and high rainfall. Within 100km there are the
dry coastal plain and sandy beaches. The climatic division
of the island into the larger, dry, mainly northern
and eastern region, and the smaller, wet, south western
section is of importance to nature enthusiasts.
Birds
Flowering plants
Jungle and gardens
Mammals
Reptiles
Sanctuaries for wildlife
Seashore and marine life
Trees
Sri Lanka is an ornithologist's paradise with
233 resident species (26 'endemics' unique to the island), mostly
found in the Wet Zone, including the Sri Lanka Whistling
Thrush, Yellow-eared Bulbul, Red-faced Malkoha, Green-billed Coucal
and Brown-capped Babbler. There are also 198 species of migrants to
the country, the majority are winter migrants from distant Siberia
and Western Europe, with the reservoirs attracting vast numbers
of water birds including stilts, sandpipers, terns and
plover, as well as herons, egrets and storks.
The forests attract species of warblers, thrushes, cuckoo and many
others. The endemic Sri Lanka Junglefowl is the island's national
bird, and it is common to see large ornaments topped
by a brass junglefowl that has an honoured place in
the home on special occasions.
Many flowering plants are cultivated in parks, gardens
and roadside verges. Frangipani is particularly
attractive, with sweetly scented waxy flowers of white,
pale yellow or pink. The flowers are included as offerings
at Buddhist and Hindu temples, and used in various religious
ceremonies.
Bougainvillea grows everywhere as a dense bush
or strong climber, often completely covered in flowers
of striking colours of pinks to purples, oranges to
yellows, and brilliant white. The trumpet-shaped flowers
of hibiscus, too, come in brilliant scarlet, pink and
yellow or simply white.
Orchids abound but sadly most go unnoticed because
of their tiny flowers. The large-flowered, deep mauve
variety can be seen around Ratnapura in May. From spring
to summer, a varicoloured, sweet-scented orchid variety
is in bloom everywhere. The Peradeniya Botanic Gardens
near Kandy have an Orchid House where all the different
varieties of Sri Lanka's orchids can be seen all year
round.
The British created several botanical gardens in Sri
Lanka, after gaining experience in other tropical colonies
like Malaysia and Singapore. These provided an answer
to the dual need to take an inventory of the species
native to the island and to acclimatise plants from
other continents, such as tea, coffee and Hevea (rubber),
with a view to their commercial cultivation. Botanical
gardens also spawned a culture of growing flowering
plants for adorning private gardens, particularly in
colonial strongholds such as Nuwara Eliya.
Where man has let nature takes its course, the vegetation
has spread according to the climate and soil type. Mangroves
fringe the salty waters of coastal lagoons, while giant
trees such as kapok, ebony and acacia stud the jungles
of the dry zone. The word "jungle" has a special
meaning in Sri Lanka. Rather than an impenetrable forest,
it refers to a space that has not been affected by human
activity, ostensibly a home to wildlife. In the tropical
rainforest of Sinharaja, a continuous canopy with a
fantastic variety of plants, dominated by trees several
hundred years old, is the last remaining region of Sri
Lanka where human intervention has had little impact.
Of the large mammals there are the elephant, buffalo,
elk (or sambur), leopard, sloth bear and spotted deer
(or chital). The elephants of Sri Lanka do not sport
large tusks as a rule, and when they do ("tuskers"),
it is only in the males. Once the elephant was found
all over the island, much like the leopard, elk and
spotted deer. Today they are generally confined to the
lowland dry zone, the leopard and elk still maintaining
a presence in the mountain forests.
Sri Lanka has two small deer, the mouse deer and barking
deer (or muntjac), both shy creatures that can sometimes
be seen at dawn and dusk. The wild boar is widespread
and is often encountered during night drives through
the country. Three small cats - the fishing cat, the
jungle cat and the rusty spotted cat - are all secretive
by nature, nocturnal and most often seen crossing the
road at night. The mongoose is another widely distributed
animal, of which there are four species found on the
island, and can be seen at the roadside or crossing
the road at anytime.
There are three species of monkey. The two most commonly
seen species are the toque macaque and the common
langur. The grey langur has a black face and a grey
body and is usually shy of humans. The red-faced macaque
on the other hand is bold and may approach people in
search of food and can be very aggressive and quick-tempered.
Many large reptiles are found in Sri Lanka, the largest
being the saltwater crocodile, a true giant attaining
a size exceeding 8m. Others include the massive leatherback
turtles, which come to Sri Lanka to lay eggs, the rock
python, which grows to 9m, and the water monitor measuring
2m, which may be seen regularly at the edge of Kandy
Lake. It is not unusual to see large land monitors or
cabaragoyas lizards crossing the road and holding up
traffic as well.
One tenth of the island is set aside for wildlife and
is protected by the Wildlife Department. This department
ensures both control of and respect for the environment.
Most of the National Parks were created in the colonial
period when they were used as hunting reserves.
Sri Lanka's 24 National Parks or wildlife reserves
are home to a wide range of native species, many of
them mammals, including the elephant, leopard, sloth
bear, the unique small Loris, a variety of deer, three
species of monkey, wild boar, porcupines and anteaters.
Reptiles include vipers and the Marsh (or mugger) and
Estuarine (or saltwater) crocodiles. Among the 16 amphibians
unique to the island is the Nanophrys frog in the hills.
The three largest reserves are the National Parks at
Yala (Ruhuna), Gal Oya and Wilpattu.
Sri Lanka is also an ornithologist's paradise with
over 250 resident bird species, mostly found in the
Wet Zone. The principal bird sanctuaries, which all have lagoons,
are the Kumana sanctuary in the southeast, Bundala (famed for its flamingos),
and the Kalametiya and Wirawila sanctuaries between Tissamaharama and Hambantota
in the south.
There is also a plenty of seashore and marine life
around Sri Lanka's 1600km of coastline, with an allocated
marine reserve at Hikkaduwa.
In 1998 the "global bleaching event" - where coral was affected
by higher-than-average ocean temperatures and regional influences -
struck about one-half of the island's coral reefs, but the affected
reefs have started showing signs of recovery. Coral can be seen at
several spots along the east, southwest and south
coasts. Pigeon Island off Nilaveli beach is a good
place to go snorkelling, so are Unawatuna and Mirissa.
Among the coral swim a bewildering variety of
colourful fish. There are shoals of silvery sardinella
and stately angelfish, often with noticeable mouths
in a different colour. Surgeonfish get their name from
the sharp blades at the base of their tales, while scorpion
fish, striped like a zebra, will only use their poisonous
dorsal spines when attacked.
In addition to the endless lines of coconut palms along
the coastal belt and the Kurunegala district, the sago
or fishtail palm, locally called "kitul", is a regular
feature on the island. Sago comes from the pith, toddy
and jaggery from the sap, and the fibres are used to
make brushes and rope. The rain tree, a native of South
America, has a large spreading canopy and is often planted
as a roadside shade tree. The eucalyptus or gum tree,
introduced from Australia in the 19th Century, is now
widespread and is planted near villages to provide both
shade and fire wood. Bamboo, strictly speaking a grass,
is found almost everywhere and is commonly used for
construction and as pipes for irrigation in smallholdings.
The banyan and its closely related cousin the peepal
are planted by temples, in villages and along roadsides.
The peepal or Bo tree (Ficus religiosa) is the tree under which the Buddha
found enlightenment and is central to Buddhist temple
design.
Flowering trees are also abundant along the roadside
and add colour to the already kaleidoscopic Sri Lankan
environment. Jacaranda, tamarind, silk cotton tree,
and the Ceylon ironwood, as well as the rhododendron,
are found all over the island.
Fruit trees are the mainstay of many villages and are
cultivated in many areas. The mango, with its spreading
branches and rounded canopy, casts a dense shadow in
the intense tropical sunlight, making it a very attractive
village meeting place. The jak is a remarkable
tree. A large evergreen with dark leathery leaves, its
huge fruit can be as much as 1m long and 40cm
thick, growing from a short stem off the trunk and branches.
The strong smelling fruit of the main eating variety
is sickly sweet and can be an acquired taste. The cashew
nut tree, a native of tropical America, was introduced
into Sri Lanka, but now grows wild as well as being
cultivated. Another introduction from tropical America,
the avocado pear, grows well in the Wet Zone, while
the banana and papaya are natives of Sri Lanka.
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