List of reptiles of Sri Lanka

The reptilian diversity in Sri Lanka is higher than the diversity of other vertebrates such as mammals and fish with 181 reptile species. All extant reptiles are well documented through research by many local and foreign scientists and naturalists. Sri Lankan herpetologist, Anslem de Silva largely studied the biology and ecology of Sri Lanka snakes, where he documented 96 species of land and sea snakes.[1] Five genera are endemic to Sri Lanka - Aspidura, Balanophis, Cercaspis, Haplocercus, and Pseudotyphlops.[2] Out of them only five of the land snakes are considered potentially deadly and life threatening to humans. Among snakes, 54 are endemic to Sri Lanka.[3] The total increased to 107 with new descriptions of Dendrelaphis, Rhinophis, Aspidura and Dryocalamus.[4][5][6][7]

This is a list of reptiles of Sri Lanka.

Lizard diversity in the island has been documented and studied by many local scientists and researchers such as Imesh Nuwan Bandara,[8] Kalana Maduwage, Anjana Silva,[9] Rohan Pethiyagoda, and Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi.[10] There are 108 lizards known from Sri Lanka, with 17 newly discovered in 2006, and two more in 2016 and 2017.[11][12] One of species was discovered in 2019 from Ensalwatta, Matara.[13] In 2019, seven more endemic day geckos have been discovered by Suranjan Karunaratne and Mendis Wickramasinghe.[14][15] In December 2019, three more endemic geckos were discovered.[16] In May 2020, another endemic skink was discovered.[17]

Apart from them, Sri Lanka is home to two species of crocodiles,[18] and nine species of turtles.[19]

This is a list of reptiles found in Sri Lanka.

Order: Squamata - scaled reptiles

Family: Acrochordidae - wart snakes

Name Binomial Status
Wart snake

Acrochordus granulatus Least concern

Family: Boidae - boas

Common name Binomial Status
Sand boa

Gongylophis conicus

Family: Pythonidae - pythons

Common name Binomial Status
Indian rock python

Python molurus Near threatened (largest snake in Sri Lanka)

Family: Colubridae - colubers

Common name Binomial Status
Green vine snake

Ahaetulla nasuta
Brown vine snake

Ahaetulla pulverulenta
Buff-striped keelback

Amphiesma stolatum
Banded racer

Argyrogena fasciolata
Boie's rough-sided snake Aspidura brachyorrhos
Black-spined snake Aspidura ceylonensis
Cope's rough-sided snake Aspidura copei
De Silva's rough-sided snake Aspidura desilvai
Gunther's rough-sided snake Aspidura guentheri
Deraniyagala's rough-sided snake Aspidura deraniyagalae
Drummond-Hay's rough-sided snake Aspidura drummondhayi
Ravana's rough-sided snake Aspidura ravanai
Common rough-sided snake

Aspidura trachyprocta
Olive keelback water snake

Atretium schistosum
Barnes' cat snake Boiga barnesii
Beddome's cat snake

Boiga beddomei
Sri Lanka cat snake

Boiga ceylonensis
Forsten's cat snake

Boiga forsteni
Common cat snake

Boiga trigonata
Dog-faced water snake

Cerberus rynchops
Ornate flying snake

Chrysopelea ornata
Sri Lanka flying snake

Chrysopelea taprobanica
Trinket snake

Coelognathus helena
Stripe-tailed bronzeback tree snake Dendrelaphis caudolineolatus[20]
Common bronzeback tree snake

Dendrelaphis tristis
Boulenger's bronzeback tree snake

Dendrelaphis bifrenalis
Oliver's bronzeback tree snake Dendrelaphis oliveri
Schokar's bronzeback tree snake

Dendrelaphis schokari
Sinharaja bronzeback tree snake Dendrelaphis sinharajensis
Wickramasinghe's bronzeback tree snake Dendrelaphis wickrorum
Sri Lanka checkered keelback snake

Fowlea asperrimus
Checkered keelback snake

Fowlea piscator
Glossy marsh snake

Gerarda prevostiana
Lesser stripe-necked snake Liopeltis calamaria
Common wolf snake

Lycodon aulicus
Chithrasekara's wolf snake Lycodon chithrasekarai
Gunther's bridal snake Lycodon gracilis
Common bridal snake

Lycodon nympha
Colombo wolf snake Lycodon anamallensis
Barred wolf snake

Lycodon striatus
Templeton's kukri snake Oligodon calamarius
Sri Lanka wolf snake Oligodon carinatus
Banded kukri snake

Oligodon arnensis
Streaked kukri snake Oligodon sublineatus
Variegated kukri snake

Oligodon taeniolatus
Indian rat snake

Ptyas mucosa
Sri Lanka blossom krait Rhabdophis ceylonensis
Green keelback snake

Rhabdophis plumbicolor
Spotted black-headed snake

Sibynophis subpunctatus

Family: Cylindrophiidae - pipe snakes

Common name Binomial Status
Sri Lanka pipe snake

Cylindrophis maculatus

Family: Elapidae - elapids

Common name Binomial Status
Common krait

Bungarus caeruleus
Sri Lanka krait

Bungarus ceylonicus
Indian coral snake Calliophis melanurus
Blood-bellied coral snake Calliophis haematoetron
Indian cobra

Naja naja

Subfamily: Hydrophiinae - sea snakes

Common name Binomial Status
Hook-nosed snake

Enhydrina schistosa
Annulated sea snake

Hydrophis cyanocinctus
Yellow sea snake Hydrophis spiralis
Ornate reef sea snake

Hydrophis ornatus
Collared sea snake Hydrophis stricticollis
Persian Gulf sea snake

Hydrophis lapemoides
Plain sea snake Hydrophis inornatus
Peter's sea snake Hydrophis bituberculatus
Russell's sea snake Hydrophis obscurus
Striped sea snake Hydrophis fasciatus
Slender sea snake Hydrophis gracilis
Spine-bellied sea snake

Lapemis hardwickii
Shaw's sea snake Lapemis curtus
Yellow-bellied sea snake

Pelamis platura
Jerdon's sea snake Kerilia jerdoni
Banded sea snake

Laticauda colubrina
Viperine sea snake Thalassophina viperina

Family: Typhlopidae - blind snakes

Common name Binomial Status
Brahminy blind snake

Ramphotyphlops braminus
Sri Lanka blind snake Typhlops ceylonicus
Lanka blind snake Typhlops lankaensis
Pied blind snake Typhlops leucomelas
Malcolm's blind snake Typhlops malcolmi
Jan's blind snake Typhlops mirus
Taylor's blind snake Typhlops tenebrarum
Veddha's blind snake Typhlops veddae
Violet blind snake Typhlops violaceus

Family: Uropeltidae - shield-tailed snakes

Common name Binomial Status
Madurai shieldtail Platyplectrurus madurensis
Blyth's shieldtail Rhinophis blythi
Orange shieldtail Rhinophis dorsimaculatus
Drummond-Hay's shieldtail Rhinophis drummondhayi
Eranga Viraj's shieldtail Rhinophis erangaviraji
Hemprich's shieldtail Rhinophis homolepis
Striped shieldtail Rhinophis lineatus
Schneider's shieldtail Rhinophis oxyrhynchus
Cuvier's shieldtail Rhinophis philippinus
Phillip's earth snake Rhinophis phillipsi
Willey's shieldtail Rhinophis porrectus
Müller's shieldtail Rhinophis punctatus
Roshan Perera's shieldtal Rhinophis roshanpererai
Large shieldtail Rhinophis saffragamus
Deraniyagala's shieldtail Rhinophis tricolorata
Zig-zag shieldtail Rhinophis zigzag
Gray's earth snake Uropeltis melanogaster
Southern earth snake Uropeltis ruhunae

Family: Viperidae - vipers and pit vipers

Common name Binomial Status
Russell's viper

Daboia russelii
Saw-scaled viper

Echis carinatus
Hump-nosed pit viper

Hypnale hypnale
Highland hump-nosed pit viper

Hypnale nepa
Lowland hump-nosed pit viper

Hypnale zara
Amal's hump-nosed pit viper Hypnale sp. Amal Not given species validity yet.
Sri Lanka green pit viper

Trimeresurus trigonocephalus

Family: Agamidae - agamid lizards

Common name Binomial Status
Common green forest lizard

Calotes calotes
Painted-lipped lizard

Calotes ceylonensis
Morningside lizard Calotes desilvai
Crestless lizard Calotes liocephalus
Whistling lizard

Calotes liolepis
Manamendra-Arachchi's whistling lizard Calotes manamendrai
Black-lipped lizard

Calotes nigrilabris
Garden lizard

Calotes versicolor
Rough-horned lizard

Ceratophora aspera
Erdelen's horned lizard Ceratophora erdeleni
Karu's horned lizard Ceratophora karu
Rhino horned lizard

Ceratophora stoddartii
Leaf-nosed lizard

Ceratophora tennentii
Pygmy lizard Cophotis ceylanica
Knuckles pygmy lizard Cophotis dumbara critically endangered
Hump-nosed lizard

Lyriocephalus scutatus
Sri Lanka kangaroo lizard

Otocryptis wiegmanni
Black-spotted kangaroo lizard

Otocryptis nigristigma
Devaka's fan-throated lizard Sitana devakai
Fan-throated lizard

Sitana ponticeriana

Family: Chamaeleonidae - chameleons

Common name Binomial Status
Indian chameleon

Chamaeleo zeylanicus

Family: Gekkonidae - geckoes

Common name Binomial Status
Sri Lanka golden gecko Calodactylodes illingworthorum
Alwis's day gecko Cnemaspis alwisi
Amith's day gecko Cnemaspis amith
Anslem's day gecko Cnemaspis anslemi
Butewa's day gecko Cnemaspis butewai
Cnemaspis clivicola
Dissanayaka's day gecko Cnemaspis dissanayakai
Gemunu's day gecko Cnemaspis gemunu
Godagedara's day gecko Cnemaspis godagedarai
Gotaimbara's day gecko Cnemaspis gotaimbarai
Hitihami's day gecko Cnemaspis hitihami
Kivulegedara's day gecko Cnemaspis kivulegedarai
Kohukumbura's day gecko Cnemaspis kohukumburai
Cnemaspis kallima
Kandamby's day gecko Cnemaspis kandambyi
Kandyan day gecko Cnemaspis kandiana
Kawmini's day gecko Cnemaspis kawminiae
Kotagama's day gecko Cnemaspis kotagamai
Kumarasinghe's day gecko Cnemaspis kumarasinghei
Latha's day gecko Cnemaspis latha
Menike's day gecko Cnemaspis menikay
Molligoda's day gecko Cnemaspis molligodai
Nilgala day gecko Cnemaspis nilgala
Nandimithra's day gecko Cnemaspis nandimithrai
Cnemaspis pava
Phillip's day gecko Cnemaspis phillipsi
Deraniyagala's day gecko Cnemaspis podihuna
Cnemaspis pulchra
Cnemaspis punctata
Rajakaruna's day gecko Cnemaspis rajakarunai
Rammale day gecko Cnemaspis rammalensis
Ranwella's day gecko Cnemaspis ranwellai
Retigala day gecko Cnemaspis retigalensis
Samanala day gecko Cnemaspis samanalensis
Rocky day gecko Cnemaspis scalpensis
Forest day gecko Cnemaspis silvula
Rough-bellied day gecko

Cnemaspis tropidogaster
Upendra's day gecko Cnemaspis upendrai
Slender-headed bent-toed gecko Cyrtodactylus cracens
Taylor's bent-toed gecko Cyrtodactylus edwardtaylori
Bridled bent-toed gecko Cyrtodactylus fraenatus
Ramboda bent-toed gecko Cyrtodactylus ramboda
Knuckles bent-toed gecko Cyrtodactylus soba
Sinharaja bent-toed gecko Cyrtodactylus subsolanus
spotted ground gecko Geckoella triedrus
Blotched ground gecko Geckoella yakhuna
Four-clawed gecko

Gehyra mutilata
Brooke's house gecko

Hemidactylus brookii
Kandyan gecko Hemidactylus depressus
Asian house gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus
Spotted giant gecko Hemidactylus hunae
Termite hill gecko

Hemidactylus lankae
Bark gecko

Hemidactylus leschenaultii
Hemidactylus parvimaculatus
Hemidactylus pieresii
Flat-tailed gecko

Hemidactylus platyurus
Scaly gecko

Hemidactylus scabriceps
Indopacific tree gecko

Hemiphyllodactylus typus
Mourning gecko

Lepidodactylus lugubris

Family: Lacertidae - wall lizards

Common name Binomial Status
Leschenault's snake-eyed lizard

Ophisops leschenaultii
Lesser snake-eyed lizard Ophisops minor

Family: Scincidae - skinks

Common name Binomial Status
Four-toed skink Chalcidoseps thwaitesii
Haly's tree skink Dasia haliana Endangered
Deignan's Lanka skink Lankascincus deignani
Deraniyagala's Lanka skink Lankascincus deraniyagalae
Lankascincus dorsicatenatus
Common supple skink Lankascincus fallax
Gan's Lanka skink

Lankascincus gansi
Greer's Lanka skink Lankascincus greeri
Lankascincus megalops
Munindradasa's Lanka skink Lankascincus munindradasai
Sameera's Lanka skink Lankascincus sameerai
Adam's Peak Lanka skink Lankascincus sripadensis
Smooth Lanka skink Lankascincus taprobanense Near threatened
Taylor's Lanka skink Lankascincus taylori
Spotted supple skink

Lygosoma punctata
Sri Lanka supple skink Lygosoma singha Data deficient
Beddome's skink Eutropis beddomii
Bibron's skink Eutropis bibroni
Keeled Indian mabuya

Eutropis carinata
Taylor's striped mabuya Eutropis floweri
Bronze mabuya

Eutropis macularia
Sri Lanka bronze mabuya Eutropis madaraszi
Tammanna skink Eutropis tammanna
Smith's snake skink Nessia bipes
Three-toed snake skink Nessia burtonii
Deraniyagala's snake skink Nessia deraniyagalai
Two-toed snake skink Nessia didactyla
Shark-headed snake skink Nessia hickanala
Layard's snake skink Nessia layardi
Toeless snake skink Nessia monodactyla
Sarasins' snake skink Nessia sarasinorum
Dussumier's litter skink

Sphenomorphus dussumieri
Sphenomorphus striatopunctatum

Family: Varanidae - monitor lizards

Common name Binomial Status
Bengal monitor

Varanus bengalensis Least concern
Water monitor

Varanus salvator Least concern

Order: Crocodilia - crocodiles

Family: Crocodylidae - true crocodiles

Common name Binomial Status
Mugger crocodile

Crocodylus palustris Vulnerable
Saltwater crocodile

Crocodylus porosus Least concern

Order: Testudines - turtles

Family: Bataguridae - Asian terrapins

Common name Binomial Status
Indian black turtle

Melanochelys trijuga Near threatened

Family: Cheloniidae - sea turtles

Common name Binomial Status
Loggerhead sea turtle

Caretta caretta Endangered
Green turtle

Chelonia mydas Endangered
Hawksbill sea turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata Critically endangered
Olive ridley sea turtle

Lepidochelys olivacea Vulnerable

Family: Dermochelyidae - leatherback turtles

Common name Binomial Status
Leatherback sea turtle

Dermochelys coriacea Vulnerable

Family: Emydidae - American hard-shelled turtles

Common name Trinomial Status
Red-eared slider

Trachemys scripta elegans Near threatened

Family: Testudinidae - tortoises

Common name Binomial Status
Indian star tortoise

Geochelone elegans Least concern

Family: Trionychidae - softshells

Common name Binomial Status
Sri Lankan flapshell turtle Lissemys ceylonensis Least concern

References

  1. "Snakes in Sri Lanka". Amazing lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  2. "Genus-level phylogeny of snakes reveals the origins of species richness in Sri Lanka". Novataxa. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  3. "poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka". poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka blog. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  4. "Genus-level phylogeny of snakes reveals the origins of species richness in Sri Lanka". Zootaxa. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  5. "A new species of Aspidura Wagler, 1830 (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) from Knuckles, World Heritage Site, Sri Lanka". Biotaxa. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  6. "A new species of Dryocalamus (Serpentes: Colubridae) endemic to the rainforests of southwestern Sri Lanka". zootaxa.4748.2.2. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  7. "A new species of Dendrelaphis Boulenger, 1890 (Reptilia: Colubridae) from the wet zone of Sri Lanka with a redescription of Dendrelaphis bifrenalis (Boulenger, 1890)" (PDF). Taprobanica. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  8. "Endemic Agamid Lizards of Sri Lanka". Sri Lanka Endemics. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  9. "Hemipeneal Morphology of Sri Lankan Dragon Lizards" (PDF). Ceylon Journal of Science. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  10. "Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi". Google Scholar. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  11. "A Rock Dwelling Day-Gecko (Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from Salgala, an unprotected Lowland Rainforest in Sri Lanka". Zootaxa. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  12. "A New Species of Cnemaspis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Knuckles Range of Sri Lanka". Zootaxa. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  13. "A new species of endemic day gecko (Reptilia: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from a wet zone forest in the second peneplain of Southern Sri Lanka" (PDF). Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  14. "Integrative taxonomy reveals six new species of day geckos of the genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Reptilia:Squamata: Gekkonidae) from geographically-isolated hill forests in Sri Lanka". Vertebrate Zoology. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  15. "A new species of dwarf day gecko (Reptilia: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis) from lower-elevations of Samanala Nature Reserve in Central massif, Sri Lanka" (PDF). Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  16. "Three new species of day geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae: Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887) from isolated granite cave habitats in Sri Lanka" (PDF). Journal of Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  17. "A new species of Lankascincus Greer, 1991 (Reptilia: Scincidae) with an overview of the L. gansi group" (PDF). Taprobanica. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  18. "Crocodiles in Sri Lanka". Amazing lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  19. "Turtles and Tortoises of Sri Lanka". Amazing Lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  20. M. A. Smith (1943 ) The Fauna of British India Ceylon and Myanmar, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-Region
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