plants and animals in Sri Lanka

Mammals

Sri Lanka is home to roughly 123 species of mammals, 41 of which are threatened (9 critically). 16 of the species are endemic, of which 14 are threatened,^[2] including the large sloth bear. mammalian orders), with 30 different species. Sri Lanka's surrounding waters are home to 28 species of Cetaceans.

Reptiles

Sri Lanka currently contains 173 species of reptiles, of which 56 are threatened and 103 are endemic. Most of the reptiles are snakes and the largest are two species of crocodile, the mugger crocodile and saltwater crocodile.^[2]

Chrysopelea taprobanica - once endemic, but now found in India as well

Taruga eques - an endemic species of amphibian

Amphibians

Sri Lanka has one of the richest diversity of amphibians in the world, containing over 140 species of amphibians up to 2015, with 109 endemic species.^[2] and has been claimed to have the highest amphibian species density in the world^[3] though that has been challenged.^[4] 52 species of amphibians in Sri Lanka are threatened, all but one of which are endemic.

Birds

The national bird, Sri Lanka junglefowl (Gallus lafayetii) is endemic.

Sri Lanka is home to 227 species of birds (though some past estimates put it as high as 486^[5]), 46 of which are threatened (10 critically).^[2]

Fish

Cherry barb (puntius titteya) is a tropical fish which is native to Sri Lanka, but introduced populations are established in Mexico and Colombia.

Sri Lanka contains 93 species of freshwater fish, and 50 of which are endemic to the country. 28 species are categorized as threatened by IUCN.^[2] There are 8 species of brackish water fish that also come to freshwater, and 24 introduced exotic fish species.

Insects

Albino cockroach, belongs toBlattodea

Insects belonging to all 32 orders except Grylloblattodea have been recorded from the Sri Lanka.

Minor insects

Main article: List of Ephemeropterans of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of Orthopterans of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of cockroaches of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of Hemipterans of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of termites of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of phasmids of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of mantids of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of Dermapterans of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of lacewings of Sri Lanka

Main article: List of minor insects of Sri Lanka

The exact species for other orders is still not classified and documented. Walker on 1861, listed 2,007 species belongs to 9 insect orders and Haly on 1890 identified 1,510 beetle species from Sri Lanka. However, after series of many publications from many foreign entomologists, Two Sri Lankan entomologists, Anura Wijesekara and D.P Wijesinghe precisely documented 11,144 insect species belongs to 30 orders from Sri Lanka in 2003.

Hubbard and co-workers documented 46 species in 8 families of order Ephemeroptera. Henneman in 2002 recorded 69 species in order Orthoptera. He also collected few specimen of order Phasmatodea around central hills. 66 species of orderBlattodea are found, but not taxonomic evidences. Few species of the order Mantodea were studies by Henry in 1931. Clear documentation of the species within Dermaptera can be found, which was initiated by Burr (1901) and Brindle (1972). Within the termite infraorder Isoptera, 56 species recorded. In 1913, Green compiled a concise catalogue for isopterans in Sri Lanka.^[7]