Merrem's Hump-nosed pit viper (Hypnale hypnale)

English : Merrem's hump-nosed pit viper / Hump nosed pit viper
Binomial Name : Hypnale hypnale
Sinhala : කුණකටුවා / පොළොන් තෙලිස්සා [kunakatuwa / Polon thelissa]

H. hypnale is a moderately venomous snake lives in Sri Lanka and India. Lives in wet, intermediate and dry zone. Give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. Responsible for the higherst snake bites of Sri Lanka

Psyche (Leptosia nina)

English : Psyche
Binomial Name : Leptosia nina

Common butterfly that can be seen in all areas of Sri Lanka. Apart form Sri Lanka they live in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Even though there are few sub species of this butterfly, the one lives in Sri Lanka is L. nina nina. Its upper forewing has a black spot on a white background.

Iru Raja (Zeuxine regia)

Binomial Name : Zeuxine regia 
Sinhala : ඉරු රාජ [Iru Raja]

An endemic and endangered ground orchid that grows in lowland wet zone and submontane zone forests of Sri Lanka. Most of the time it grows on leaf litter. Z. regia is used in traditional medicine for treating snake bites.

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

English : Painted Lady
Binomial Name : Vanessa cardui

Common butterfly that can be seen in grass lands. In Sri Lanka V. cardui has been restricted to central hills. It can be found commonly in Horton Plains National Park.

Pied parasol (Neurothemis tullia tullia)

Male

Male

Female

English : Pied parasol
Binomial Name : Neurothemis tullia tullia

Common dragonfly that can be found in South and South east Asia including Sri Lanka. It has a black body and white wings with transparant tips. They breed in marshes and drainage channels of paddy fields.

Toque monkey (Macaca sinica)

English : Temple Monkey / Toque monkey
Binomial Name : Macaca sinica
Sinhala : රිළවා / Rilawa

Endemic species of monkeys living in Sri Lanka. Behaves in troops. Lives in forests and villages where elevation above the sea level is lesser than 1800meters. Can be seen three sub species based on environmental zone of living.

Gannoruwa Srub Frog (Pseudophilautus zorro / Philautus zorro)

English : Gannoruwa Srub Frog
Binomial Name : Pseudophilautus zorro
Sinhala : ගන්නෝරුව පඳුරු මැඩියා [Gannoruwa panduru madiya]

Endemic shrub frog lives in Sri Lanka and can be seen mainly in Kandy area. They live in home gardens and forest with good undergrowth and a grown canopy. It has been restricted to wet zone. Equally active in day time and night.Considered as an endangered species of frogs.

Common Crow butterfly (Euploea core)

English : Common Crow
Binomial Name : Euploea core 

E. core is a Common butterfly which lives in South Asia including Sri Lanka. E. core has become distasteful for predators due to the chemicals extracted from food plants consumed in their caterpillar stage. By getting the advantage of inedibility of common crow, some other species of butterflies mimic common crow to get protected from predators.

Sri Lankan Rose / Ceylon Rose (Pachliopta jophon)

English : Sri Lankan Rose / Ceylon Rose
Binomial Name : Pachliopta jophon

Ceylon Rose is somewhat rare endemic butterfly of Sri Lanka. Can be seen in wet zone rain forests.It has a long tail compared to Crimson Rose. Apical half of the abdomen has the color of crimson. Regarded as critically endangered due to loss of habitats.

Tropic Dart (potanthus confucius)

English : Tropic Dart
Binomial Name : Potanthus confucius

Can be seen in every part of Sri Lanka except central hills.Lives in home gardens and grasslands. Its flight is quite fast.

Green Skimmer (Orthetrum sabina)

English : Green Skimmer
Binomial Name : Orthetrum sabina

Lives in lowland and submontane regions of Sri Lanka. They breed in perennial and seasonal ponds with slow running water. Males and females of this dragonfly can be seen some distance from breeding places.

Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis)

English : Common Jezebel
Binomial Name : Delias eucharis 

Lives in South and Southeast Asia including Sri Lanka.It has been distributed in all areas of Sri Lanka. Can be seen in home gardens and grasslands. This butterfly has a bright coloration to indicate its toxicity. So that birds can ignore.

Strobilanthes calycina

Binomial Name : Strobilanthes calycina
Sinhala : කහ නෙලු [Kaha Nelu]

Strobilanthes calycina is an endemic shrub grows in highlands elevation above the sea level is greater than 1800 meters. It can be seen in Horton National Park and Nuwaraeliya area.

Osbeckia lanata

Binomial Name : Osbeckia lanata
Osbeckia lanatais an endemic shrub that is restricted to montane zone of Sri Lanka. Can be seen comonly in understory of Horton National Park.

Osbeckia parvifolia

Binomial Name : Osbeckia parvifolia

Herb that grows in highlands of Sri lanka and South India. Can be seen in open places such as grasslands. Most of the time a flower has four petals.

Osbeckia rubicunda

Binomial Name : Osbeckia rubicunda

Herb that grows in highlands of Sri Lanka. Can be seen commonly in montane zone forests and forest edges. Apart from Sri Lanka O.rubicunda grows naturally in highlands of India and Malay peninsula.

Osbeckia octandra

Binomial Name : Osbeckia octandra
Sinhala : හීන් බෝවිටියා [Heen Bowitiya]

O.octandra is an endemic plant of Sri Lanka. Can be seen in grasslands. Leaves of this plant are used in Sri Lankan traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for liver related deceases. Leaves of this plant has a sweet and acidic taste.

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

English : Common Myna
Binomial Name : Acridotheres tristis
Sinhala : මයිනා [Myna]

Common Myna is native to Asia and can be seen in urban environments. Both male and female birds look similar. It has been declared as one of the world’s most invasive species of birds.

Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica subsp. robinsoni)

English : Emerald Dove / Bronze-wing Pigeon / Green Dove
Binomial Name : Chalcophaps indica subsp. robinsoni
Sinhala : නීල කොබෙයියා [Neela Kobeyya]

It is a resident breeder of Sri Lanka with brilliant green wings. They feed on fallen fruits and seeds. Even though there are number of subspecies of C. indica in the world, the one who lives in Sri lanka is C.i. subsp. robinsoni.

Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus)

Female

Female

Male

English : Asian Koel
Binomial Name : Eudynamys scolopaceus
Sinhala : කොවුලා / කොහා [Kowla / Koha]

Resident breeder of Sri Lanka and have been distributed throughout the Asia. Their Male and female look different. Being a brood parasite, this bird lay eggs in nests of other birds such as crows. New born young are raised by foster parents. In Sri Lanka call of this bird is considered as the start of traditional new year.

Shining Gossamerwing (Euphaea splendens)

Female

English : Shining Gossamerwing
Binomial Name : Euphaea splendens

An endemic dragonfly of Sri Lanka. Can be identified by bright metallic blue sections of wings. Female is slightly larger than male. Can be seen in montane zone streams. Larvae lives in pools of streams by hiding in the debris at the bottom.

Common Rough-sided snake (Aspidura trachyprocta)

English : Rough-sided snake
Binomial Name : Aspidura trachyprocta
Sinhala : දලව මැඩිල්ලා [Dalawa Madilla]

Aspidura trachyprocta is a non venomous endemic snake living in highlands of Sri Lanka. It is nocturnal and the most common snake of Horton plains national park. They come in various colors ranging from blackish brown to light reddish brown. Its diet consists of earth worms and ants.

Malabar Blackmouth (Melastoma malabathricum)

English : Malabar Blackmouth
Binomial Name : Melastoma malabathricum
Sinhala : මහබෝවිටියා / කටකළුවා [Maha bowitiya, katakaluwa]

Malabar Blackmouth is a shrub that grows in wet zone and montane zone. Flowers can be seen throughout the year. Apart from Sri Lanka this plant grows in India including Southeast Asia.

Bronzed frog (Rana temporalis)

English : Bronzed frog
Binomial name : Rana temporalis/Hylarana temporalis/Sylvirana temporalis
Sinhala : තඹවන් දිය මැඩියා [Thambawan diya mandiya]

This brown colored frog is endemic to Sri Lanka. It can be seen in shaded streams of wet zone. R. temporalis has been distributed in low country as well as in hill country where elevation above the sea level is lesser than 1830 meters. They live on wet stones and stems of trees near shaded streams during day time and night.

Grey Pansy(Junonia atlites)

English : Grey Pansy
Binomial name : Junonia atlites 

Grey Pancy is a butterfly distributed in all areas of Sri Lanka and can be seen in home gardens and scrublands.They are more abundant in wet zone and less abundant in central hills and dry zone. Apart from Sri Lanka J. atlites has been distributed throughout the South Asia.

Black-Tipped Flashwing (Vestalis apicalis nigrescens)

Female

Male

Female

English : Black-Tipped Flashwing
Binomial name : Vestalis apicalis nigrescens

Black-Tipped Flashwing is an endemic damselfly living in Sri Lanka that belongs to Chlorocyphidae family. They have green colored body as an adaptation for living environment. Both sexes have the color of metallic green and male can be identified by the black color tip of the wings. They can be seen mostly in streams inside forests of lower hills and montane areas. Another sub species of Black-Tipped Flashwing named Vestalis apicalis submontana can be found in India.