Sri Lanka dull-blue Flycatcher (Eumyias sordidus)

An endemic bird confined to the forests, home gardens and cultivations of hill country and humid locations in low country wet zone. It is locally common in such areas. It feeds on flying insects usually perching on a branch of a shady tree. It also eats berries. Dull blue flycatcher breeds from March to September in a nest made of moss, fern roots etc and place in a hole in a tree or road bank. 

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ඉරුරාජ[Iru-Raja] (Zeuxine regia)

An endemic orchid species grows among leaf litter of forest floor under the shade of trees in sub-montane and mid country forests. Iru-raja is used for treating snake-bite poisoning in traditional medicine. Flowers during December and January.

Chocolate Albatross (Appias lyncida taprobana)

Rare butterfly of southern low country of the island.  Flight fast and strong. Male often settle on damp earth. Its larva feeds on leaves of Crateva adansonii (ලුණුවරණ) of the family Capparaceae . Chocolate albatross is a butterfly which appears irregularly, being almost entirely absent in certain years.  According to the Woodhouse (Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950) it can usually be ‘taken’ from May to October. 

Cat’s-ear (Hypochaeris radicata)

Native plant of Europe. Introduced as an ornamental plant and now naturalized in moist grasslands of montane areas above 5000ft. Flowering from December to July

Euphorbia rothiana(Common hill spurge)

Common indigenous erect herb distributed in shady places of montane grasslands and secondary forests. Flowering occurs from September to December with characteristic white flowers with two green bracts, on top of the plant.

ගල් ඉබ්බා[Gal ibba]/Black Turtle (Melanochelys trijuga)

Two subspecies occurs in the island

1)        Melanochelys trijuga parkeri (Parker’s Black Turtle) – Larger than Spotted Black turtle with more dark shell and uniform olive brown head (or sometime spotted with orange).  It is restricted to Northern areas of the country.

2)        Melanochelys trijuga thermalis (Spotted Black Turtle) – Head spotted with red orange or pink. Widespread in lowland wet and dry zones up to elevation of about 4200ft a.s.l.

Both subspecies are omnivorous and act as a scavenger.  It inhabits still water bodies with aquatic vegetations and spend many hours basking during the day time and forages at night.

මහ-හැඩයා[Maha –Hadaya] (Huperzia phlegmaria)

An epiphyte on trees or on rocks in mid and up-country forests up to 1200m a.s.l. It is used in snakebite treatments by traditional medical practitioners.

Green’s Gem (Libellago greeni)

Green’s Gem is a locally common endemic damselfly of low and mid hill forest streams and rivers.  

Grass orchid (Arundina graminifolia)

an indigenous terrestrial orchid species with grass like stem and leaves occurs  in open areas and Patana lands of higher elevations. 

Rustic (Cupha erymanthis placida)

An uncommon butterfly found in jungles throughout the island, while becoming rare in the higher hills. Its larva feeds on Flacourtia inermis (Livi-lovi),  Flacourtia indica (උගුරැස්ස), Scolopia acuminata, Scolopia pusilla (කටු කෑර/කටු කුරුඳු/කටු කෙන්ද) and Homalium ceylanicum

කිරිහැන්ඳ[Kiri-hendha]/Silver-spiked cockscomb (Celosia argentea)

An introduced weed of cultivated lands, roadsides, waste lands etc. of low country. Very common in low country dry zone. 

ගෝනා[Goana]/Sambar (Cervus unicolor)

Sambar is the largest member of the deer family lives in the country. It is distributed throughout the island where sizable forest lands or grasslands still remains. However due to illegal poaching in other areas Sambar is today almost restricted to the protected national parks. Horton plains are the only place where Sambar is seen in herds of considerable size. Except man the main predator of Sambar is the leopard while Crocodiles, Pythons and Jackals sometime take fawns. They are mostly active during night and grazing on grasses and take leaves and shoots of plants. Again exception can be seen in Horton plains where they may feed in the evening and early morning. 

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Acmella uliginosa [Syn: Spilanthes iabadicensis]

An introduced herb common in moist grounds like paddy fields, ditches, stream edges, etc.  Yellow flowers blooms from August to March.

Yerbury’s Elf (Tetrathemis yerburyii)

A very rare endemic dragonfly of small size inhabits ponds and stagnant pools along streams of mid-hill rainforests. Museum specimens were so far collected from Hanguranketha, Hatton and Kandy (The dragonflies of Sri Lanka – Terrence the Fonseka). Therefore de Fonseka has noted that it is confined to the submontane areas of the island. However above picture was taken at the Horagolla national park (7° 8'29.44"N,  80° 5'2.83"E) a lowland rain forest patch of about 33acres in Gampaha district 170 ft a.s.l.

Nigger (Orsotriena medus mandata)

Common butterfly flies in southern part of the island from sea level to about 5000ft a.s.l. all the year round. It is scarce in the North. The eggs are laid on the under side of a blade of varies grass species of the family Poaceae and larva feeds on them such as Carpet grass/පොටු තණකොළ (Axonopus compressus),  Leersia hexandra (ලෙව්/Bareet Grass), Oryza sativa and Panicum maximum(ගිනි තණ/Guinea grass).

Mexican flame leaf/Poinsettia/Christmas star (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Native plant of Mexico. Introduced and cultivated in home gardens due to its attractive red bracts around the small yellow and orange flowers. Also escaped and naturalized in hill country, especially along roads.

Dark-fronted Babbler (Rhopocichla atriceps)

Dark-fronted Babbler is a bird of forest undergrowth of all zones. Generally found in as small flocks feeding on insects among foliage. The main breeding season is from February to May and perhaps again from October to November.  The nest is a ball of dead leaves with wide opening in one side, placed on a fork of tree.

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රන්හිරිය[Ranhiriya] (Vicoa indica [Syn: Pentanema indicum])

Common indigenous herb of roadsides and abandoned chena cultivations, especially of Northern dry zone.

Rough – horn Lizard (Ceratophora aspera)

Endemic and endangered lizard lives in lowland and submontane Dipterocarp forests of the wet zone. Rough – horn Lizard  is a ground dwelling and slow moving lizard which inhabits leaflitter of the shaded forests, usually as pairs. 

Black Flat ( Celaenorrhinus spilothyrus )

Black Flat is a common butterfly usually found in jungles of wet lowlands to mid hills.  Woodhouse remarks that “At Corbet’s gap, near Madugoda, it can be taken all the year round and both sexes are plentiful there in March and April” (Woodhouse L.G.O. The Butterfly fauna of Ceylon 1950).  Male Black Flat of above picture was also taken at same area while on my way to  Dothalugala peak.  It has a habit of settling on the underside of a leaf with its wings spread out flat and  it seldom flies far even disturbed.  Its larva feeds on Barleria arnottiana, Barleria involucrata, Strobilanthes adenophora, Strobilanthes viscosa var. viscosa, Gymnostachyum sanguinolentum, Strobilanthes diandra, Strobilanthes lupulina, Strobilanthes rhamnifolia, and Strobilanthes vestita