Sri Lanka

Mammals known only from Sri Lanka include the Purple-faced Langur (ARKive), the Toque Macaque (ARKive), the Red Slender Loris (EDGE), the Golden Palm Civet (Sunday Times), Layard's Palm Squirrel (ARKive), Mayor's Mouse (ARKive), and the recently described Sri Lanka Yellow-striped Mouse Deer Moschiola kathygre (p. 6 of Jetwing Eco Holidays pdf file) and shrew Crocidura hikmiya (Dr. Madhava Meegaskumbura). Endemic genera include Pearson's Long-clawed Shrew (Planet' Mammiferes) and the Ohiya Rat (Planet' Mammiferes).

Birds restricted to Sri Lanka include the Serendib Scops Owl (ARKive), the Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon (IBC), the Sri Lanka Hanging-parrot (Endemic Bird of SL), the Emerald-collared Parakeet (Oriental Bird Images), the Sri Lanka Grey Hornbill (IBC), the Yellow-fronted Barbet (Corbet's View), the Sri Lanka Myna (Oriental Bird Images), the Sri Lanka Whistling-thrush (Ceylon Bird Club), the Yellow-eared Bulbul (ARKive), Legge’s Flowerpecker (Corbet's View), the Sri Lanka Magpie (ARKive), the Sri Lanka Spurfowl (Ceylon Bird Club), and the national bird - the Sri Lanka Junglefowl (ARKive). Endemic genera include the Red-faced Malkoha (ARKive) and the Sri Lanka Bush-warbler (IBC).

Representatives of reptile genera unique to Sri Lanka nclude Tennent's Leaf-nosed Lizard (Project Knuckles), the Pygmy Lizard (ARKive), the Hump-nosed Lizard (CalPhotos), the Common Lanka Skink (Reptiles of Sri Lanka), the Large Shield Snake (Reptiles of Sri Lanka), Boie’s Roughside (flickr), and the Blossom Krait (ARKive). Other endemic reptiles include Alwis’s Day Gecko (Reptiles of Sri Lanka), Ranawana's Golden Cat Snake (ARKive), the Sri Lankan Pipe Snake (Reptiles of Sri Lanka), the Sri Lankan Pit Viper (ARKive), the Sri Lanka Hump-nosed Viper (ARKive), and the Sri Lankan Krait (Reptiles of Sri Lanka).

Amphibians exclusive to Sri Lanka include the Common Yellow-banded Caecilian (ARKive), Noellert's Toad (ARKive), the Sri Lanka Paddy Field Frog (ARKive), the Gray-brown Pug-snouted Frog (AmphibiaWeb), Karunaratne’s Narrow-mouthed Frog (EDGE), and dozens of species of endemic shrub-frogs including Philautus alto and Philautus auratus (both at slendemics.info) . Endemic genera include Kelaart’s Dwarf Toad (ARKive), Kirthisinghe's Rock Frog (EDGE), Taruga (AmphibiaWeb), and the Corrugated Water Frog (ARKive).

Freshwater fish found solely in Sri Lanka include the Cherry Barb (FishBase), the Asoka Barb (FishBase), the Barred Danio (ARKive), the Pearly Rasbora (jjphoto.dk), the Ornate Paradise Fish (LankaLibrary), the Ceylonese Combtail (AquaWorld), Werner’s Killifish (FishBase), the Banded Mountain Loach (ARKive), Jonklaas's Loach (Loaches Online), and a recently described catfish Mystus ankutta (PlanetCatfish) and barb Puntius reval (Sunday Observer). Endemic marine fish include the Sri Lankan Dottyback (reeflex), a parrotfish Chlorurus rhakoura (eol), the Manyscaled Flounder (eol), and a recently described threefin blenny Helcogramma serendip (p. 23 of Bioline Int'l pdf file).

Butterflies found nowhere else include the Ceylon Birdwing (ARKive), the Ceylon Rose (ARKive), the Ceylon Tree Nymph (slendemics.info), the Ceylon Tiger (ARKive), the Blue Oakleaf (flickr), and the Ceylon Hedge Blue (flickr). Other endemic arthropods include the Brook Hooktail (p. 14 of Jetwing Eco Holidays pdf file), the Sri Lanka Sabretail (p. 22 of Jetwing Eco Holidays pdf file), the Sri Lankan Relict Ant (ARKive), a katydid Temnophylloides astridula (flickr), a planthopper Truncatomeria viridistigma (Gallicissa), the Sri Lankan Ornamental Tarantula (Ondrej Rehak), the Sri Lanka Tree-climbing Crab Perbrinckia scansor (Gallicissa), a freshwater crab Ceylonthelphusa kandambyi (ARKive), a genus of freshwater shrimp Lancaris (AkvaForum.no), and the Sri Lanka Dwarf Shrimp (Arizona Inverts), .

Among over 100 endemic species of land snails are Beddomea albizonata (TravelPod), Eutomopeas layardi (NHM - London), Acavus superba (NHM-London), Oligospira poleii (slendemics.info), Ratnadvipia karui (NHM-London), and Mirus stalix (p. 6 of Raffles Museum pdf file). Endemic marine invertebrates include a coral Echinopora robusta (ARKive), Kline’s Conch (Eddie Hardy), and a volute Lyria cloveriana (jaxshells.org).

More than 900 vascular plant species are confined to Sri Lanka including a palm Areca concinna (PACSOA), Exacum trinervium (flickr), Gordonia ceylanica (Corbet's View), Osbeckia octandra (Ruth Ripley), Impatiens repens (Strange Wonderful Things), Chirita moonii (Gesneriad Reference Web), Cryptocoryne thwaitesii (Cryptocoryne Blog), Rodomyrtus tomentosa (Corbet's View), Nepenthes distillatoria (Dr. Joachim Nerz), and the Wesak Orchid (IOPSE). Endemic genera include a dipterocarp Stemonoporus (flickr), an orchid Adrorhizon (IOPSE), Schumacheria (Ruth Ripley), a palm Loxococcus (ARKive), Cyphostigma (Smithsonian), Championia (Genera of Gesneriaceae), and Hortonia (Clarins).

Sri Lanka is included in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots) and the Northern Indian Ocean coral reef hotspot (Reef Guardian pdf file). Important terrestrial ecoregions include the Sri Lanka Montane Rain Forests (EoE) and the Sri Lanka Lowland Rain Forests (EoE). An overview of the island is provided by "Biodiversity Conservation in Sri Lanka" (CBD pdf file) and "The 2007 Red List of Threatened Fauna and Flora of Sri Lanka" (National Red Lists pdf file).