With the smaller creatures of Serendib
ROHINI RAMAKRISHNAN
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A pictorial peep into the herpetology of Sri Lanka proved to be highly interesting.
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Photo: AFP
Philautua poppiae: A knuckles leaf-nesting frog, found in the Knuckles Range in central Sri Lanka.
lease go quietly on to the other side,” was a request quietly spoken in Sinhala which made you think that the gentleman walking along with you, suddenly wanted you on the other side of the road. A sharper look made you realise that he was addressing the huge cobra that was slithering along beside you. As one quietly shivered at the experience, it made one realise that this was the Buddhist tolerance of Sri Lanka, where humans and animals co-exist. The Book Point stor
e in collaboration with Nature Quest recently organised a pictorial peep into the “Herpetology of Sri Lanka”. The visiting lecturer, Anslem de Silva, brought out the beauty of the island and the different eco-system that it boasted through slides.
Varied eco system
He says his interest in the world of reptiles began at the age of seven, when he stopped a group of bullies pelting a large rat snake with stones. As a child he had baby crocodiles and tortoises as pets, but pointed out that this was now illegal. He asked questions and then with their answer as a peg, discussed the ways, habitat, “the lifestyle” of the reptile. Thus it was an informal and interactive session that the children enjoyed.
Sri Lanka has eco systems that begin with the coastal area, the arid climatic zones, the rain forests and the central hills. A unique addition to this list he said was the Kandyan Home Garden. The homes in the Central Kandyan hills have large gardens that are densely populated with fruit trees like Jack, Avocado, Coconut, Guava and other fruits, along with spices and yam. Most home gardens provide the household kitchen. Anslem de Silva pointed out that in an in depth study of his own home garden in Gampola, revealed that there are 70 species of reptiles and amphibians in it. He began with history and spoke about the cobra guard stones at aquatic places that signified the sacredness of the water bodies and the healthy ecology of the aquatic system. Inspecting gold and bronze statues of a water snake, a frog and a tortoise that dated to 6th century A.D., it showed our ancestors, observation of herpetology, as it portrayed the exact body morphology.
The island has two species of crocodiles, four of turtles, 84 of lizards and 97 of snakes. He spoke at length of the importance of frogs especially in the observation of their movements. Environmental changes can be detected in their disappearance, malformation or deformities. From pre-Christian times, historical records have shown that turtles have been harvested for human use, but of late smuggling of these turtles has risen alarmingly. He also brought out the fact that the star tortoise in Sri Lanka differs from the one in India, and smugglers who dump them with the “Indian consignment” causing a genetical problem.
Threats to wildlife and their habitat were also discussed and the main reasons were: population growth and human settlements, consumption of certain animals, soil erosion, agrochemical use and fishery related mortality. He also spoke of the habitat fragmentation for tea, agriculture and illicit timber. Road kills, land mines are also causes for the depletion of the smaller creatures. They are now educating the farmers and agriculturists in the management and conservation of areas they handle.
As the talk came to a close, the final slide of buffaloes soaking up the sun in muddy water with skipper frogs on their backs was eloquent of the co existence in the world of animals too.
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