Alpinia abundiflora

An indigenous large herb grows in the hill country forests. Flowering from February to November.

Rufous Horse-shoe Bat (Rhinolophus rouxii)

Rufous Horseshoe Bat is a common bat occurs from forested parts of the low country to the lower hills (500 m a.s.l) while becoming scarce above 1300 m a.s.l. It roosts day time in caves, old buildings, barns and dark culverts as large colonies of same species or sometime with other species of bats such as Schneider’s leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros speoris), Long-eared false vampire bat(Megaderma spasma) and Bi-colored leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros ater). But roosting single individuals or small parties are also not uncommon in such places. It emerges late in the evening from the roosting site and catch small flying insects (Moths, Beetles etc.) by flying about 3-4 feet above the ground below trees or sometime darting at the prey from a perched position in a low bushes. This bat occurs in two color forms,  brown and orange, while later color phase bats are much common during the winter months of the northern hemisphere (Yapa A. & Ratnavira G., 2013). 

වල් - කිඩාරම් [Wal-Kidaram] (Arisaema leschenaultii)

Rather rare indigenous herb found in shady places in the hill country. The "flower" is hooded with the green spathe protecting the interior, which contains the true flowers from the rain. 

Muller's shrub frog (Pseudophilautus sarasinorum)

An endemic shrub frog confined to the sub-montane forests from 600 to 1300m in Central and Knuckles hills. It can be observed on moss covered rocks and trees near forest streams as well as such anthropogenic habitats.

පුංචි ලේනා[Punchi Leana]Dusky striped jungle squirrel (Funambulus obscurus)

The smallest squirrel in Sri Lanka with relatively short tail compared with the other squirrels. It is distributed in wet zone forests from lowlands to higher hills. It is strictly forest dweller though sometime visits adjoining well wooded home gardens. Dusky striped jungle squirrel feeds on insects, grubs, flowers, fruits and often follows mix-species feeding flocks of birds, closer to the ground in search of disturbed insects and grubs by the birds. They are often encountered as pairs and keep contacts with each others with bird-like contact call. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Hare-bell (Wahlenbergia marginata)

An indigenous and common herb found in Patana lands and rocky areas of the higher hills (1400-2400 m). Flowering throughout the year though chiefly from December to May.

Malayan (Megisba malaya)

Malayan is a common butterfly occurs from lowlands to hills (Up to about 400ft). The dry seasonal form is large. Males often settle on damp earth and bird dropping to absorb minerals. Its larval food plant are Allophylus cobbe (බූ-කොබ්බෑ\කොබ්බෑ), Mallotus rhamnifolius (මොළබෑ/බුලු හුලු කැප්පෙටියා), Mallotus philippensis, and Mallotus eriocarpus.

.

බුලත් හපයා/මනමාලයා[Bulath Hapaya/Manamalaya]/Black Ruby Barb(Pethiya nigrofasciatus)

An endemic fish restricted to slow flowing clear, shady forest streams with gravel or sand substrate from wet lowlands up to about 300m elevation from Maha Oya to Walawe basin. 

Eulophia graminea

Rather rare terrestrial orchid species grows in open places under partial shade in the dry regions. 

Blue Pursuer (Potamarcha congener)

Blue Pursuer is a locally common dragonfly found in small weedy ponds and marshes from lowlands to mid-hills. 

සුදු වේවැල්/තුඩරෑන[Sudu Wewal/Thuda rena] (Calamus ovoideus)

An endemic rattan climbing about 50-70 m height, occurs in wet lowlands and lower montane forests up to about 1500m a.s.l. Flowering in April and fruits ripen during September - October. Canes use to make furniture and baskets.  

Sharp-snouted shrub frog (Pseudophilautus cuspis)

An endemic shrub frog is confined to the wet lowland close canopy rain forests with little understorey from 150m to 660m a.s.l. Sharp-snouted shrub frog is active both day and night and during the day time 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.

Recorded areas - Millawa near Morawaka, Mederipitiya and Wathugala near Deniyaya, 

Above individual was photographed near famous giant Navada tree of Sinharaja world heritage site from Kudawa entrance. 

බාඳුරා වැල්[Badura wel]/Pitcher-plant (Nepenthes distillatoria)

A woody leaf climber reaching top of tall trees or growing over lower vegetation in primary and secondary forests of the lowland wet zone.  Also grows in scrublands. The insectivorous habit of the plant is believed to be as an adaptation to meet nutritional deficiency when it occurs in poor soils. However plant can be found in both poor and rich soils. The lid over the pitcher functions as insect attraction due to its reddish green or brown color and also prevent dilution of its insect-digesting fluid with rain water. The fluid in the 'pitcher' part of the leaf is prescribed as a remedy for whooping cough by some indigenous medical practitioners and prescribes to taken orally. The stems are used as rough cordage. 

Spot-winged Thrush/ශ්‍රී ලංකා තිත්පිය තිරාසිකයා/පුල්ලි වල් අවිච්චියා [Sri Lanka Titpiya Thirasikaya/Pulli Wal Avichchiya] (Geokichla spiloptera)

A rare breeding resident inhabiting undergrowth of forests and well wooded areas from wet lowlands to higher hills. Scarce and local in riverine forests in the dry zone. It feeds on insects, worms, etc mainly on the ground, skulking in the undergrowth while turning over leaf litter. It lives as pairs or as solitary birds. The breeding season is from March to April and again from August to September. It build a nest - an untidy mass of twigs, moss and grass- placed in a crown of tree fern or fork of a sapling where it lays two eggs. 

සිංහලෙන් කියවන්න >>

Aphyllorchis montana

A rare leafless terrestrial saprophytic orchid species with distinguish purple stem. It grows under the shade of trees in the submontane or mid-country tropical wet evergreen forests below 610 m altitude. 

First physical observation of Petinomys fuscocapillus (jerdon, 1847) with photographic evidence from Sinharaja World Heritage Site

 Small flying squirrel or Heen Hambawa (හීන් හම්බාවා) in Sinhalese is one of the rarest nocturnal mammals of heavy forests of the lower foothills to higher altitudes (Yapa A. & Ratnavira G., 2013). As per Phillips W.W.A. its range limited to the hills at medium altitudes with extremely local distribution (Phillips W.W.A., 1981). Further he has given a list of places from where it had been recorded up to then (Table 1). Other than Sri Lanka it is found only in Western Ghats of India and there also it was re-discovered in a coconut grove in Kerala state in 1989 after one hundred years and it was thought to be extinct in India till then (Yapa A. & Ratnavira G., 2013 & Nanayakkara et.al., 2012 quoting Kurup, 1989).  In 2007 Jayasekara et.al. recorded it from Sinharaja forest with a black & White picture captured by a camera trap placed on a fruiting tree to assess fruit consumption by birds and mammals of a tropical rain forest (Jayasekara et.al., 2007).  Most recent observation of it is from Laggala-Illukkubura road of Knuckles range made by Nanayakkara et.al on 26^th January 2013. They have observed and photographed a single specimen while it was feeding on tender part of the shoot and leaves of a climber at 2130 hr on a tree 9m above ground level in a well-developed semi-evergreen forest habitat .  They have not observed gliding of the animal (Nanayakkara et.al, 2013). Hitherto only color photographs available of this illusive mammal was from them and it was the first physical examination of this species from Sri Lanka after 78 years.  

	Location	Altitude (ft)
1	Forests of Dimbula (in 1850s)	4500
2	Dickoya
3	Gammaduwa in the east Mathale hills	2500ft
4	Kitulgala	900
5	Wellawaya	600
6	Adam’s peak wilderness

Food:

It is believed that Small flying squirrel is feeds on wild fruits, berries, nuts, shoots and young leaves and possibly also sappy bark of certain trees (Phillips W.W.A., 1981)

Habits:

Small flying squirrel is purely nocturnal and arboreal and it spends day time in a hole of a tree trunk or branch of a large tree. It carries its tail curled over its back when stationery and feeding. Not much information available on its breeding and it is said that two young are born in a hole, lined with vegetable fibres, etc. in which their mother lives day hours.

Observation and discussion

On 14^th January 2014 we were able to observe and photograph a Small flying squirrel at a place close to the Sinharaja forest reserve (Outside the protected area) from around 11.30 PM to 3.00AM of 15^th January 2014 (It was not at the site continuously during the observation period but appeared there time to time). It was observed about 2m above the ground while feeding probably on young shoots and leaves of a mango tree (Mangifera indica). Short distance (less than 3m) gliding also noticed at least once during the observation period.  Most of the time except when moving from one place to another it kept its tail draped over its back. It was not much shy and not paid much attention toward camera flashes and torch lights. According to all available published data this might be the second instance of the physical observation of this rare mammal in recent history with photographic evidences and first instance of observing it in Sinharaja forest reserve area though existing of it there has been already proved with camera traps (Jayasekara et.al., 2007). Most important fact here is that this observation was made not inside the dense forest but small secondary forest area close to Kudawa conservation center office and this observation highlights the  important of conserving not only Sinharaja forest itself but also buffer zone forest areas surrounding the Sinharaja heritage site.

References

Jayasekara P., Weerasinghe U.R., Wijesundara S. and Takatsuki S., 2007 Identifying diurnal and nocturnal frugivores in the terrestrial and arboreal layers of a tropical rain forest in Sri Lanka. Ecotropica, 13: 7-15 

Kurup G.U., 1989 Rediscovery of small Travancore Flying Squirrel. Oryx 23: 2-3

Nanayakkara R. P., Vishvanath N., Kusuminda T.G.T., 2013 The small  fying squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus) observed after 78 years in Sri Lanka Taprobanica Vol 5 No 1: 85-86

Phillips W.W.A., 1980 Manual of the mammals of Sri Lanka Part 2: 175-177 

Weerakoon D. K. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Mammals in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds.,Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka 134-144pp

Yapa A. and Ratnavira G. 2013 The Mammals of Sri Lanka 212-213

Hump-nosed Lizard/Lyre-headed Lizard/ගැටහොඹු කටුස්සා/කරමල් බෝදිලිමා/බොහොඬා[Gatahombu Katussa/Karamal Bodilima/Bohonda](Lyriocephalus scutatus)

Hump-nosed Lizard is an endemic arboreal lizard found in shaded forests and adjoining well wooded home gardens and plantations from wet lowlands to mid hills (up to about 1600m a.s.l.). It feeds on insects[termites, butterflies, moths], earthworms,  young shoots and buds as well as fruits on both trees and on land. It is a diurnal lizard and during night ascending high up trees to sleep. If cornered it opens its mouth wide to show the bright red color inside, change body color  and also practicing death feigning. 

Plain Hedge Blue (Celastrina lavendularis)

Plain Hedge Blue is a rare butterfly found in up country over 3000ft between February and October (Woodhouse L.G.O., 1950). However above specimen was photographed in the Sinharaja World Heritage Site (~1700ft). No records available on its larval food plant or early stages of the life cycle.

රන් දෝතළු[Ran dothalu] (Loxococcus rupicola)

Ran dothalu is a rare endemic palm confine to the  south-western rain forests from lowlands to hills (300 to 1500m a.s.l.). It can be found as small populations on shady rocky outcrops  near streams. Seeds use as a substitute for Betel-nut palm for mastication with betel. This palm recently become  a popular ornamental plant and despite the fact that it is protected under the law, illegal over exploitation widely practices and hence become an endangered plant.

Frogmouth/මැඩිමුහුණා[madimuhuna] (Batrachostomus moniliger)

Frogmouth is a rare breeding resident found in dense forests and forests edges in all climatic zones while scarce in hills and comparatively common in the wet zone.  It is a strict nocturnal bird and spends the day perch across a branch with beak pointing upwards and the facial plumes erected forwards looking rather like a broken branch. It feeds mainly on insects like beetles. The breeding takes place from January to March and again from August to September. The nest is a small pad set on a horizontal branch, well camouflaged with lichens and barks which support a single egg which is brooded during the day by the male bird (probably the female broods at night - (Henry G.M., 1998))