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Angammedilla National Park
Angammedilla National Park ( si, අංගම්මැඩිල්ල ජාතික වනෝද්යානය, translit=Aṁgammæḍilla Jātika Vanōdyānaya; ta, அங்கம்மெடில்லை தேசிய வனம், translit=Aṅkam'meṭillai Tēciya Vaṉam) is one of the new national parks in Sri Lanka. The region was designated national park on 6 June 2006. Originally Angammedilla was a forest reserve within the Minneriya-Girithale Sanctuary declared on 12 February 1988. The park is declared mainly to protect the drainage basin of Parakrama Samudra. Angammedilla also secures the drainage basins of Minneriya and Girithale irrigation tanks, water sources in Sudu Kanda (Sinhala for "White hill") and habitats and wildlife of the adjacent forests. It is located away from Colombo in Polonnaruwa District. Physical features Amban river which is sourced by Sudu Kanda forms the southern border of the park. A mountain range stretches across the park fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Central Province, Sri Lanka
North Central Province ( si, උතුරු මැද පළාත ''Uturumæda Paḷāta'', ta, வட மத்திய மாகாணம் ''Wada Maththiya Mākāṇam'') is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka, the first level administrative division of the country. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. The province is the largest by size, and second least populated in the country. The province consists of the districts of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, both of which were important ancient Sri Lankan kingdoms. The climate is semi-arid, and the forests are dry evergreen forests. History The centralised system of Sri Lanka, which is a unitary state, failed to satisfy the aspirations of the people. There was growing insistence on decentralisation of administrative processes to achieve rapid economic and social development of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Lankan Elephant
The Sri Lankan elephant (''Elephas maximus maximus'') is native to Sri Lanka and one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant. It is the type subspecies of the Asian elephant and was first described by Carl Linnaeus under the binomial ''Elephas maximus'' in 1758. The Sri Lankan elephant population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. Elephants are present in Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Lunugamvehera National Park, Wilpattu National Park and Minneriya National Park but also live outside protected areas. It is estimated that Sri Lanka has the highest density of elephants in Asia. Human-elephant conflict is increasing due to conversion of elephant habitat to settlements and permanent cultivation. Characteristics In general, Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and have the highest body point on the head. The tip of their trunk has one finger-like process. Their back is convex or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Purple-faced Langur
The purple-faced langur (''Semnopithecus vetulus''), also known as the purple-faced leaf monkey, is a species of Old World monkey that is endemic to Sri Lanka. The animal is a long-tailed arboreal species, identified by a mostly brown appearance, dark face (with paler lower face) and a very shy nature. The species was once highly prevalent, found in suburban Colombo and the "wet zone" villages (areas with high temperatures and high humidity throughout the year, whilst rain deluges occur during the monsoon seasons), but rapid urbanization has led to a significant decrease in the population level of the monkeys. It had traditionally been classified within the lutung genus ''Trachypithecus'' but was moved to the genus ''Semnopithecus'' based on DNA evidence indicating that is it more closely related to the gray langurs. In Sinhala it is known as ශ්රී ලංකා කළු වඳුරා ʌlu vʌⁿðura(Sri Lanka black monkey). Description In the purple-faced langu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tufted Gray Langur
The tufted gray langur (''Semnopithecus priam''), also known as Madras gray langur, and Coromandel sacred langur, is an Old World monkey, one of the species of langurs. This, like other gray langurs, is mainly a leaf-eating monkey. It is found in southeast India and Sri Lanka. It is one of three ''Semnopithecus'' species named after characters from ''The Iliad'', '' S. hector'' and '' S. ajax'' being the others. In Sinhala it is known as හැලි වදුරා (''Heli wandura''). Taxonomy and evolution There are two subspecies, ''Semnopithecus priam priam'' in India, and ''Semnopithecus priam thersites'' from Sri Lanka. There are two theories about the evolution of these two subspecies. According to one theory, ''Semnopithecus priam'' arose from subspecies '' Semnopithecus vetulus philbricki''. With the glacial fluctuations, and far apart of Indian subcontinent, pushed two taxa apart, but both retained key adaptation to folivory, and a ruminant-like stomach. Thereafter, ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Slender Loris
The red slender loris (''Loris tardigradus'') is a small, nocturnal strepsirrhine primate native to the rainforests of Sri Lanka. This is No. 6 of the 10 focal species and No. 22 of the 100 EDGE mammal species worldwide considered the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered. Two subspecies have been identified, ''L. t. tardigradus'' and ''L. t. nycticeboides''. Taxonomy * Genus ''Loris'' ** Red slender loris, ''Loris tardigradus'' *** Horton Plains slender loris or mountain loris, ''Loris tardigradus nycticeboides'' *** Dry zone slender loris or lowland loris, ''Loris tardigradus tardigradus'' ** Gray slender loris, ''Loris lydekkerianus'' The ears are less prominent in ''Loris tardigradus tardigradus'' compared to ''Loris lydekkerianus''. The ears of ''Loris tardigradus nycticeboides'' are almost invisible. Description This small, slender primate is distinguished by large forward-facing eyes used for precise depth perception, long slender limbs, a well-developed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Lanka Junglefowl
The Sri Lankan junglefowl (''Gallus lafayettii'' sometimes spelled ''Gallus lafayetii''), also known as the Ceylon junglefowl or Lafayette's junglefowl, is a member of the Galliformes bird order which is endemic (ecology), endemic to Sri Lanka, where it is the national bird. It is closely related to the red junglefowl (''G. gallus''), the wild junglefowl from which the chicken was domesticated. However, a whole-genome molecular study rather show that Sri Lankan junglefowl and grey junglefowl are genetically sister species than with the red junglefowl. Sri Lankan junglefowl and red junglefowl diverged about 2.8 million years ago, whereas time of divergence between the Sri Lankan junglefowl and grey junglefowl was 1.8 million years ago. Evidence of introgressive hybridization from Sri Lanka junglefowl has also been established in Domestic Chicken, domestic chicken. The specific name (zoology), specific name of the Sri Lankan junglefowl commemorates the French aristocrat Gilbert du M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grizzled Giant Squirrel
The grizzled giant squirrel (''Ratufa macroura'') is a large tree squirrel in the genus '' Ratufa'' found in the highlands of the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka, and in patches of riparian forest along the Kaveri River and in the hill forests of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southern India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened due to habitat loss and hunting. Etymology and common names Grizzled giant squirrels are named for the white flecks of hair that cover their greyish-brown bodies, giving them a grizzled look. Description ''R. macroura'' is the smallest of the giant squirrels found in the Indian subcontinent, with a head and body length of , and tail measuring roughly the same or more, for a total length of . It has small rounded ears with pointed tufts. The home range of an individual is between . Subspecies ''dandolena'' is dorsally brown grizzled with white. Ventrally light brownish crea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear (''Melursus ursinus'') is a myrmecophagous bear species native to the Indian subcontinent. It feeds on fruits, ants and termites. It is listed as Vulnerable species, vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and Habitat degradation, degradation. It is the only species in the genus ''Melursus''. It has also been called "labiated bear" because of its long lower lip and palate used for sucking up insects. It has a long, shaggy fur, a mane around the face, and long, sickle-shaped claws. It is lankier than brown bear, brown and Asian black bears. It shares features of insectivorous mammals and evolved during the Pleistocene from the ancestral brown bear through divergent evolution. Sloth bears breed during spring and early summer and give birth near the beginning of winter. When their territories are encroached upon by humans, they sometimes attack them. Historically, humans have drastically reduced these bears' habitat and diminished their popula ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sri Lanka Leopard
The Sri Lankan leopard (''Panthera pardus kotiya'') is a leopard subspecies native to Sri Lanka. It was first described in 1956 by Sri Lankan zoologist Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala. Since 2020, the Sri Lankan leopard has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as the population is estimated at less than 800 mature individuals, and is probably declining. Characteristics The Sri Lankan leopard has a tawny or rusty yellow coat with dark spots and close-set rosettes. Seven females measured in the early 20th century averaged a weight of and had a mean head-to-body-length of with a long tail, the largest being with a long tail; 11 males averaged , the largest being , and measured with a long tail, the largest being with a long tail. The Sri Lankan leopard has possibly evolved to become a rather large leopard subspecies, because it is the apex predator in the country. Large males have been suggested to reach almost , but evidence for this is lacking. Melani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peafowl
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are referred to as peahens, although peafowl of either sex are often referred to colloquially as "peacocks." The two Asiatic species are the blue or Indian peafowl originally of the Indian subcontinent, and the green peafowl of Southeast Asia; the one African species is the Congo peafowl, native only to the Congo Basin. Male peafowl are known for their piercing calls and their extravagant plumage. The latter is especially prominent in the Asiatic species, which have an eye-spotted "tail" or "train" of covert feathers, which they display as part of a courtship ritual. The functions of the elaborate iridescent colouration and large "train" of peacocks have been the subject of extensive scientific debate. Charles Darwin suggested that they served ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wild Boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suiform. It has been assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability to a diversity of habitats. It has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. Wild boars probably originated in Southeast Asia during the Early Pleistocene and outcompeted other suid species as they spread throughout the Old World. , up to 16 subspecies are recognized, which are divided into four regional groupings based on skull height and lacrimal bone length. The species lives in matriarchal societies consisting of interrelated females and their young (both male and female). Fully grown males are usually solitary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Water Buffalo
The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, South America and some African countries. Two extant types of water buffalo are recognized, based on morphological and behavioural criteria: the river buffalo of the Indian subcontinent and further west to the Balkans, Egypt and Italy and the swamp buffalo, found from Assam in the west through Southeast Asia to the Yangtze valley of China in the east. The wild water buffalo (''Bubalus arnee'') most likely represents the ancestor of the domestic water buffalo. Results of a phylogenetic study indicate that the river-type water buffalo probably originated in western India and was domesticated about 6,300 years ago, whereas the swamp-type originated independently from Mainland Southeast Asia and was domesticated about 3,000 to 7,000 years ago ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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