These photos were taken by me during the Safari trip to Kaudulla and Minneriya National parks in Sri Lanka. In this post I will be talking little more about Asian elephant and the next post I will be talking about the '' Human- Elephant conflict in Sri Lanka''.
By Yashoda Somarathne
The elephant is one of the last few mega herbivores mammals that reach an adult body weight in excess of 1000 kg still extant on earth.The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is one of the most seriously endangered species of large mammals in the world today. Among asian elephants, femals do not have tusks and not all the males carry them either. In Sri Lanka, 93% of the bulls are tusk less and are referred to as maknas. In Sri Lanka, given that only about 7% of the bulls are tuskers.
A slender green coloured tree snake with a triangular head. Its eyes are large and give it near stereoscopic vision which would clearly assist it in its hunting techniques. Its colouration may vary from bright green with brownish stripes to emerald green with pink or buff coloured stripes. Not an endemic species.Arboreal and diurnal in nature. It has a very nasty disposition and does not like to be handled. Its habit of darting at its adversary's face is the basis of the myth that it deliberately plucks eyes hence its earning native Singhalese, Tamil and other Indian names. It does not hesitate to strike if provoked but is very easy to handle once its head and eyes are covered up in rags rendering its jaws ineffective. Strongly dislikes captivity and often strikes the glass walls of the vivarium often injuring and disfiguring itself in the process. Unlike many other snakes the Green Vine Snake lets go once bitten often leaving teeth gouged in its enemy's flesh.
Pseudophilautus zorro (by Yashoda Somarathne)
Size of male: 19-23 mm, female: 22-30 mm. Snout sharply pointed. Dosally chestnut brown to pale brown, belly with dark brown pigments.Endangered rare species according to IUCN red list. This species is endemic to Sri Lanka and it is known only from central Sri Lanka at 500-800 asl where it has been recorded from Gannoruwa forest, Hanthana and Udawattakelle forest reserve.Similar to Pseudophilautus temporalis, but easily distinguished by the presence of a small calcar on its heel (absent in Pseudophilautus temporalis ). It inhabits closed-canopy rainforest habitats with little understorey, and also occurs in residential gardens with plenty of leaf-litter. It is active by both day and night.
This snake has 19 rows of Costals two head lengths behind its head, 19 rows at its midbody and 13 to 15 rows two head lengths before its vent. Its entire Preocular shields will distinguish it from B.barnesi which has a divided Preoculars. A widely distributed, common, non-endemic snake. Distributed in Southern India and central hills in Sri Lanka. Arboreal and nocturnal snake feeds mainly on lizards and frogs. The prey is pursed and first confused with a blitz style attack. Then the prey is immobilized by its venom and killed by crushing its neck by its jaws or by constrictions. Mildly venomous causing local swelling.
Hylarana temporalis- The Bronzed frog (by Yashoda Somarathne)
Listed as Near Threatened because its Extent of Occurrence is probably not much greater than 20,000 km2, and the extent and quality of its habitat are probably declining, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable. Its native to India and Sri Lanka. It is a largely terrestrial species (although males can be seen in low vegetation) associated with shaded hill streams and riparian vegetation in semi-evergreen moist tropical forest. It is not found in modified (agricultural) habitats. Adults are often encountered on wet boulders in streams, and breeding takes place in these streams.
Calotus calotus- Green Forest Lizard (by Yashoda Somarathne)
I found this common lizard on the road side when we were heading back to the University. They are active at day time and inactive at night time due to low ambient temperature. ''Seems like its sleeping...!''
