Animal Info - Sri Lanka

(Formerly Ceylon)

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in Sri Lanka and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.

Critically Endangered:
- Nillu Rat (Rattus montanus). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
Endangered:
- Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus).
- Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus).
- Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus).
- Jungle Shrew (Suncus zeylanicus). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
- Kelaart's Long-clawed Shrew (Feroculus feroculus). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
- Pearson's Long-clawed Shrew (Solisorex pearsoni). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
- Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus vetulus). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
- Sri Lankan Long-tailed Shrew (Crocidura miya). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
- Sri Lanka Shrew (Suncus fellowsgordoni). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
Vulnerable:
- Dhole (Cuon alpinus).
- Dugong (Dugong dugon).
- Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra).
- Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus).
- Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
- Nolthenius's Long-tailed Climbing Mouse (Vandeleuria nolthenii). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)
- Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus).
- Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus).
- Slow Loris (Loris tardigradus).
- Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon).
- Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura).
- Sri Lankan Highland Shrew (Suncus montanus).
- Toque Macaque (Macaca sinica). (Endemic to Sri Lanka.)

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 88 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 13 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996: 14 (16 % of total species) (IUCN 1996); 2000: 21 (24 % of total species) (IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

Sri Lanka contains the Sri Lankan Moist Forests and the Sri Lanka Rivers & Streams Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)
Sri Lanka contains portions of the Sri Lanka & the Western Ghats of India Global Biodiversity Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 1999a)

Population

Population in 1995: 18,171,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 277.0 people/sq km (717.3 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 18,993,558 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 1.4 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 65,610 sq km (25,332 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

Other Coastal Aquatic: 32 %
Grass and Shrub: 42 %
Crop and Settlements: 3 %
Interrupted Woods: 13 %
Major Forests: 10 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 0 %, Medium: 60 %, High: 40 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 7,840 sq km (3,026 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 7.5 % totally protected, 4.45 % partially protected, 11.95 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GNP ($ U.S.) (1991): $495 (WRI 1994)
Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $3,760 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent of females in secondary education (1989): 76 % (World Bank 1992)
Percent adult literacy: Female: 84 % (1990), 69 % (1970); Male: 93 % (1990), 85 % (1970) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Cons. Intl. 1999a, Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2004, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for Sri Lanka): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles; Links for Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society

Top of Page | Search This Site

Last modified: February 19, 2006;