Mammals in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a wonderful island with one of the richest
biodiversity on the Earth. Biodiversity is the whole of species interacting
with their habitats. Mammals are one block of that huge framework. As we all
know a mammal can characterized by feeding their young using milk, which is
produced by mammary glands. When considering mammals of Sri Lanka, there are
more than 125 species under 11 orders have been described to date. The purpose
of this post is to describe each mammalian order briefly. It’ll support the
individuals who are interested in Sri Lankan mammals.
Order Sirenia
The sirenians are a group of mammals which are fully aquatic
and herbivorous. Commonly, called Sea Cows.
Marine wetlands like seagrass beds, coastal waters, rivers, swamps, etc. can be
identified as their common habitats. Order Sirenia has 2 distinct families,
first one is Trichechidae or Manatees. Others are Dugongidae or Dugongs. In Sri
Lanka, Dugongs are the only sirenians that can be found. Dugongs are an
endangered species, the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka is the only dugong
habitat in Sri Lanka.
Order: Proboscidea
This is the group of the largest terrestrial mammals, Elephants. They are also herbivorous. In Sri Lanka, we can see an endemic subspecies of Asian elephants called the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). Sri Lankan elephants are one of the most attractions of Sri Lanka.
Order: Primates
This is the group of mammals, to which we humans belong.
Besides us, 5 wild primates can be found in Sri Lanka. These 5 species belong
to Loris and monkeys. There are 2 Loris species namely, red slender loris (Loris tardigradus) and gray slender
loris (Loris lydekkerianus). From
them, the red slender loris is endemic to Sri Lanka and also considered
endangered. Toque macaque (Macaca sinica),
tufted gray langur (Semnopithecus priam),
and purple-faced langur (Trachypithecus
vetulus) are monkeys. Toque macaque and purple-faced langur are endemic and
purple-faced langur is endangered.
Order: Rodentia
This is comprised of the largest mammalian order covering
more than 40%. These are called rodents because of their continuously growing 2
incisors in the upper and lower jaws. Yes, they are rats, and also porcupines,
mice, and squirrels are others in this group. There are more than 23 species of
rodents can be found in Sri Lanka. Porcupines, Flying squirrels, and giant
squirrels are more attractive than other members of rodents in Sri Lanka.
Order: Lagomorpha
The Indian hare is the only lagomorph found in Sri Lanka.
They are scattered almost over the country,
Order: Soricomorpha
This is a rather mysterious group of mammals. Soricomorpha
is the group for moles and shrews. They are nocturnal, insectivorous living
under the ground most of their lifetime. There are 10 species described in Sri
Lanka with about 60% of endemism.
Order: Chiroptera
Chiropteras are the flying mammals. The group of bats, covering more than 20% of global mammalian species. In Sri Lanka, bats are the most described mammalian group comprising more than 30.
Order: Pholidota
This is the order of pangolins. There are 8 pangolin species
spread all over the country. From them we can found Indian pangolins (Manis crassicaudata) in Sri Lanka. These species are ant and termite eaters, they use
their strong claws to break down their mounds. Pangolins can be found in both
the wet zone and dry zone of Sri Lanka but they are endangered in Sri Lanka.
Order: Cetacea
Cetacea are mammals wander in waters, marine mammals. There are nearly 30 species of cetaceans identified in Sri Lanka. Troncomalee, Mirissa, and Kalpitiya are the best places to see marine mammals in Sri Lanka. Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) are the most common and playful cetacean, while Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to see the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the largest mammal ever lived in the world.
Order: Carnivora
Carnivora is a group comprised of meat-eating (carnivorous)
mammals. There are 16 species of carnivores in Sri Lanka. Golden jackal (Canis aureus), Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus), Sri Lankan Sloth bear
(Melursus ursinus), wild cats,
mongoose, civets, and otters are carnivores that can be found in Sri Lanka.
Order: Artiodactyla
These are also called ungulates. Deer are the most famous in
this group. There are 4 species of deer, 2 chevrotains, wild buffalos, and wild
boar are members of ungulates found in Sri Lanka.
These are the mammalian species found in Sri Lanka. Many of
them are endemic to the country and also they face several anthropogenic
threats to their lives. Habitat degradation by deforestation, poaching, road
kills, and bycatch are the main threats they face in Sri Lankan extent. It is
important to mitigate these threats to save these amazing animals.
Additional Readings
·
List of mammals of Sri Lanka (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_Sri_Lanka
·
Animal Profiles – Mammals (Dilmah Conservation)
https://www.dilmahconservation.org/about-animals/mammals--f9925cffabdd604dfab150bbcb49f2a8
·
Mammals in Sri Lanka (Department of Wildlife
Conservation)
https://www.dwc.gov.lk/wnp/mammals/
· Mammas of Sri Lanka (PDF)
Note:
Interested in a Fully Guided Wildlife Photography Tour in Sri Lanka or Helping our Projects,
Send us an Email or a text message on WhatsApp,
Email: tharanainu@gmailcom
WhatsApp: +9470 455 4848
Comments
Post a Comment