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Despite
its relatively small size, Sri Lanka possesses a high level
of bio-diversity. Details can be
found in this section
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Explore
natural beauty of this Indian Ocean Island in our Eco-tourism
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Biological
diversity of Sri Lanka
Sri
Lanka is an island, 65,610 km2 in area situated close to the Southeast
corner of the peninsula of India. Despite its relatively small size,
Sri Lanka possesses a high level of bioddiversity. A nortworthy
feature of Sri Lanka's biodiversity is the remarkable high proportion
of endemic species among its flora and fauna: 23% of the flowering
plants and 16% of the mammals in the island are endemic. Sri Lanka
has a wide range of topographic and climatic variation and this
contributes to the special features of its biodiversity.
Birds
of Sri Lanka - Picture Gallery
Sri
Lankan Wild Fauna and Flora - Picture Gallery
Ecosystem
Diversity
Threatened
Plants of Sri Lanka
Checklist
of Mammals of Sri Lanka
Sinharaja
Forest Sinharaja
Trail Map
Endemic
Birds
Newly
discovered fauna from Sri Lanka
Threatened
endemic amphibians of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of 25 Biodiversity hotspots
in the world!
Flora - Number of species described to date in Sri Lanka
| Group |
Number of described
species |
Percentage endemism |
| Algae |
866 |
NA |
| Fungi |
1,920 |
NA |
| Lichens |
110 |
35 |
| Mosses |
575 |
NA |
| Liverwoths |
190 |
NA |
| Ferns and Fern allies |
314 |
18 |
| Gymnosperms |
1 |
0 |
| Angiosperms (Flowering
plants) |
3,350 |
23 |
Fauna
- Number of species described to date in Sri Lanka
| Group |
Number
of described species |
Percentage
endemism |
| Protista (One
celled animals) |
40+ |
NA |
| Rotifera |
140+ |
NA |
| Anthozoa (Corals) |
171 |
NA |
| Annelida
(Earthworms and Leeches) |
18 |
NA |
| Monogenea (Flatworms) |
23+ |
NA |
| Crustacea (Prawns,
crabs and allies) |
400 |
NA |
| Mollusca (snails
and allies) |
325 |
NA |
| INSECTA |
|
|
| Mayflies |
18 |
100 |
| Mosquitoes |
139 |
NA |
| Beetles |
540 |
23 |
| Butterflies |
242+ |
6 |
| Arachnida (Spiders) |
400+ |
NA |
| Pisces - Coastal
fish |
400+ |
NA |
| Pisces - Freshwater
fish |
61 |
39 |
| Amphibia (Frogs and
Toads) |
48 |
52 |
| Reptilia (Reptiles) |
162 |
43 |
| Aves (Birds) |
441 |
5 |
| Mammalia (Mammals) |
90 |
16 |
Sri
Lanka: One of 25 World's Biodiversity Hot Spots
Sri Lanka has been identified by the environment activist group
Conservation International (CI) as one of 25 biodiversity hot spots
in the world, reported the Time weekly in its January 11 issue.
These hot spots could have maximum benefit by preservation efforts,
the magazine said in a cover story titled "Heroes for the Planet:
Earth Angles". The U.S.-based CI said that together with Western
India, Sri Lanka, the island in the Indian ocean, accounts for 2,180
plant species that are unique to each hot spot.
Sri Lanka's tropical rain forest ecosystem is considered as an area
which is disturbed by human activity, but still exceptionally rich
in animal and plant species found nowhere else.
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