Absence of protected habitats Will threatened Sri Lankan lizards vanish from earth?

By Nayanajeewa Bandara – Monaragala

A significant number of Sri Lanka’s most threatened agamid lizard species are found in the Central Highlands, the Knuckles Range, and the Rakwana Range, according to recent research by a young Sri Lankan scholar.

Iresha Wijeratne, a PhD candidate at GuangXi University in China, stated that this discovery is highly valuable for protecting the habitats of these endangered species and supporting conservation efforts.

Wijeratne has examined numerous research papers and distribution maps related to these lizard species, drawing on the work of several local and international researchers including Dr. Suranjan Fernando, Sameera Suranjan, Dulan Vidanapathirana, Kanishka Ukuwela, Sriyani Wickramasinghe, Jagath Gunathilaka, Eben Goodale, and Aiwnjiang on 14 endangered lizard species found in Sri Lanka.

She has also contributed to identifying their distribution and mapping out habitats suitable for their conservation.

According to this new discovery, the endangered agamid lizards are primarily found in Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands, Knuckles Range, and Rakwana Range, said the young researcher.

She emphasised that if any individual or organization is planning conservation initiatives focused on these endangered lizards, these identified geographical zones would be the most suitable areas for such efforts. “There are 22 species of agamid lizards found in Sri Lanka. Of these, 19 are endemic to the country. Among them, 14 species are predominantly found in areas surrounding the Knuckles Range, Central Highlands, and the Rakwana mountain range. This clearly indicates that the habitats of these species are mainly located in the wet zone,” said Wijeratne. 

According to Wijeratne, this research confirmed that endemic lizards and other reptiles that are endangered are concentrated in wet zone regions such as the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Samanala Forest Reserve, and the Knuckles Mountain Range. However, it also revealed that about 40% of their habitats fall outside designated protected areas.

She added that if a formal initiative is not implemented to protect the habitats of these lizards now disappearing due to human activity, it will not be long before this already highly threatened species vanishes from the face of the earth.

The endangered agamid lizards are primarily found in Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands, Knuckles Range and Rakwana Range. The picture shows the picturesque Knuckles Forest Reserve