List of reptiles of Sri Lanka

Reptiles are tetrapod animals from the class Reptilia comprising today's turtles, crocodilians, snakes, amphisbaenians, lizards, tuatara, and their extinct relatives. Reptiles are tetrapod vertebrates, creatures that either have four limbs or, like snakes, are descended from four-limbed ancestors. Unlike amphibians, reptiles do not have an aquatic larval stage. Most reptiles are oviparous, although several species of squamates are viviparous, as were some extinct aquatic clades^[1] — the fetus develops within the mother, contained in a placenta rather than an eggshell. As amniotes, reptile eggs are surrounded by membranes for protection and transport, which adapt them to reproduction on dry land.

Reptile

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia

The reptilian diversity in Sri Lanka is somewhat higher than other vertebrates such as mammals and fish. All extant reptilian species are well documented through series of researches throughout the each decade 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 documented 96 species of land and sea snakes from Sri Lanka.^[2] Out of them only 5 of the land snakes are considered potentially deadly and life threatening to humans. 50 snakes are endemic to Sri Lanka.^[3]

Lizard diversity in the island has been documented and studied by many local scientists and researchers such as Imesh Nuwan Bandara,^[4] Kalana Maduwage, Anjana Silva,^[5] Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, and Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi.^[6] According to them, 97 lizards are known from Sri Lanka, with 17 new discovered in 2006.

Apart from them, Sri Lanka is home to 2 species of crocodiles,^[7] and 9 species of chelonians.^[8]

This is a list of reptiles found in Sri Lanka.

Order: Squamata - Scaled reptiles

Suborder: Serpentes - Snakes

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
Gunther's Rough-sided Snake	Aspidura guentheri
Deraniyagala's Rough-sided Snake	Aspidura deraniyagalae
Drummond-Hay's Rough-sided Snake	Aspidura drummondhayi
Common Rough-sided Snake	Aspidura trachyprocta
Olive Keelback Water Snake	Atretium schistosum
Sri Lanka Blossom Krait	Balanophis ceylonensis
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
Sri Lanka Wolf Snake	Cercaspis carinatus
Ornate Flying Snake	Chrysopelea ornata
Sri Lanka Flying Snake	Chrysopelea taprobanica
Trinket Snake	Coelognathus helena
Stripe-tailed Bronzeback Tree Snake	Dendrelaphis caudolineatus
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
Gunther's Bridal Snake	Dryocalamus gracilis
Common Bridal Snake	Dryocalamus nympha
Glossy Marsh Snake	Gerarda prevostiana
Lesser Stripe-necked Snake	Liopeltis calamaria
Common Wolf Snake	Lycodon aulicus
Flowered Wolf Snake	Lycodon osmanhilli
Barred Wolf Snake	Lycodon striatus
Green Keelback Snake	Macropisthodon plumbicolor
Templeton's Kukri Snake	Oligodon calamarius
Banded Kukri Snake	Oligodon arnensis
Streaked Kukri Snake	Oligodon sublineatus
Variegated Kukri Snake	Oligodon taeniolatus
Indian Rat Snake	Ptyas mucosa
Spotted Black-headed Snake	Sibynophis subpunctatus
Sri Lanka Checkered Keelback Snake	Xenochrophis asperrimus
Checkered Keelback Snake	Xenochrophis piscator

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
Large Shieldtail	Pseudotyphlops philippinus
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
Willey's Shieldtail	Rhinophis porrectus
Müller's Shieldtail	Rhinophis punctatus
Deraniyagala's Shieldtal	Rhinophis tricolorata
Zig-zag Shieldtail	Rhinophis zigzag
Gray's Earth Snake	Uropeltis melanogaster
Phillip's Earth Snake	Uropeltis phillipsi
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

Suborder: Lacertilia - Lizards

Family: Agamidae - Agamid Lizards

Common name	Binomial	Status
Common Green Forest Lizard	Calotes calotes
Painted-lipped Lizard	Calotes ceylonensis
Crestless Lizard	Calotes liocephalus
Whistling Lizard	Calotes liolepis
Black-lipped Lizard	Calotes nigrilabris
Garden Lizard	Calotes versicolor
Morningside Lizard	Calotes desilvai
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
Bahir's Fan-throated Lizard	Sitana bahiri
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
	Cnemaspis clivicola
Gemunu's Day Gecko	Cnemaspis gemunu
	Cnemaspis kallima
Kandyan Day Gecko	Cnemaspis kandiana
Kumarasinghe's Day Gecko	Cnemaspis kumarasinghei
Latha's Day Gecko	Cnemaspis latha
Menike's Day Gecko	Cnemaspis menikay
Molligoda's Day Gecko	Cnemaspis molligodai
	Cnemaspis pava
Phillip's Day Gecko	Cnemaspis phillipsi
Deraniyagala's Day Gecko	Cnemaspis podihuna
	Cnemaspis pulchra
	Cnemaspis punctata
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 Rock Gecko	Hemidactylus hunae
Termite Hill Gecko	Hemidactylus lankae
Bark Gecko	Hemidactylus leschenaultii
	Hemidactylus parvimaculatus
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

Family: Scincidae

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
Munindradasa's Lanka Skink	Lankascincus munindradasai
Adams 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 megalops
	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
Hawskbill 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
Flapshell Turtle	Lissemys punctata	Least concern

References

^ Sander, P. Martin. (2012). "Reproduction in early amniotes". Science. 337 (6096): 806–808. doi:10.1126/science.1224301.
^ "Snakes in Sri Lanka". Amazing lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ "poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka". poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka blog. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ "Endemic Agamid Lizards of Sri Lanka". Sri Lanka Endemics. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ "Hemipeneal Morphology of Sri Lankan Dragon Lizards" (PDF). Ceylon Journal of Science. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ "Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi". Google Scholar. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ "Crocodiles in Sri Lanka". Amazing lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
^ "Turtles and Tortoises of Sri Lanka". Amazing Lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[S12-1] Sander, P. Martin. (2012). "Reproduction in early amniotes". Science. 337 (6096): 806–808. doi:10.1126/science.1224301.

[2] "Snakes in Sri Lanka". Amazing lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[3] "poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka". poisonous snakes in Sri Lanka blog. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[4] "Endemic Agamid Lizards of Sri Lanka". Sri Lanka Endemics. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[5] "Hemipeneal Morphology of Sri Lankan Dragon Lizards" (PDF). Ceylon Journal of Science. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[6] "Kelum Manamendra-Arachchi". Google Scholar. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[7] "Crocodiles in Sri Lanka". Amazing lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

[8] "Turtles and Tortoises of Sri Lanka". Amazing Lanka. Retrieved 27 September 2016.

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