UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK

UDAWALAWE NATIONAL PARK is located approximately 200 km south-east of Colombo city and is a major eco tourism destination in Sri Lanka . The 30,821 hectares dry zone game park has an annual rainfall of 1524 mm and an average temperature of 29.4°C.
It is most famous for the many elephants that live there (about 400 in total). During a visit, it is not unusual to see whole herds of adults and young elephants– feeding or bathing and playing in the water! In addition to this main attraction, the park is home to many water buffalo, water monitor lizards, sambar deer, monkeys and the occasional leopard, as well as being an exciting location for bird enthusiasts.
A 4WD open-top safari is the only way to see all the wonders that this protected reserve has to offer and our experienced and knowledgeable nature guides will make this an unforgettable experience
History and the Description of the Udawalawe National Park:
The Udawalawa national park was established on 30 th July 1972.It lies in the lower catchment of Udawalawa Reservoir in the country's Intermediate Lowland region. This area falls into two administrative districts in two provinces. The parkland on the right bank of Walawe ganga is within Ratnapura district in the province of sabaragamuwa and the parkland on the left bank falls within Moneragala district in the province of Uva . This Park is located approximately between the latitudes 6 25'E and 6 35' N and longitudes 80 45'N and 81 00' E.
The dry land area of the Park is about 119 Sq miles or 308 Sqm, approximately 28910ha. The Udawalalawa reservoir is situated within the park premises, the total surface area of which at full supply is 3405ha. The total area of the park within the declared boundary including the reservoir is 32,315ha.
Altitude and Physical Features
Altitude ranges from about 100m on the plains to 373m at the top of the deep Walawe Reservoir (3,400ha), which is surrounded by open plains and foothills. The most prominent feature is the kalthota Escarpment and spectacular Diyawinne Fallto the north. Ulgala, in the west of the most prominent peak.
Climate:
The climate in the park is characterized by a seasonal rainfall and uniformly high temperature conditions. The average annual rainfall is about 1500mm in the south end, and it gradually increases towards the north. The annual average temperature is about 32 C.
The rainfall experienced in the Park is characterized by a bimodal pattern of distribution in both monthly and weeklty rainfall. Two rainfall peaks occur in an year, one in April- May and the other in the October – November. A short dry spell is experienced in February- March and a prolonged dry period is observed from mid May to end of September.
The temperature in the National Park situated so close to 6 N, remains high and relatively uniform throughout the year, that is extreme fluctuations of temperature do not occur within the National Park or its surroundings. The annual average temperature is about 29 C.
Plant life and the Vegetation
Vegetation, Originally forested, grassland and thorn-scrub now predominate. Much of the forest was destroyed by chena (shifting cultivation). Tree species include Satin ( Chloroxylon swietenia ), Halmilla (Berrya cordifolia ), Ebony ( Diospyros ebenum ) Ehala ( Cassia fistula ), Kolon ( Adina cordifolia ), Milla ( Vitex pinnata ), Kon (Schleichera oleosa) and Kunumella ( Diospyros ovalifolia ). Scattered trees, constituting 20-50% of existing cover, are mainly satin, ehala and lunumidella ( Melia dubia ). In the riverine forest, kumbuk ( Terminalia arjuna ) and the endemic mandorang ( Hopea cordifolia ) are dominant. Scrub is dominated by damaniya (Grewia tiliaefolia ). Savanna grasslands are dominated by Mana ( Cymbogon confertiflorus) , Illuk (I mperata cylindrical ) and Pogon ( Pennisetum olystachyon)
Animal life
This park is very famous for the Elephants (Elephas maximus). There are herds of elephant feeding in the grasslands. The Sambar deer (Carvus unicolor), Spotted deer (Carvus axis), Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), wild boar (Sus scrofa) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) are re-establishing themselves. Other mammals include: toque macaque (Maccaca sinica) endemic, common langur (Presbytis entellus), jackal (Canis aureus), toddy cat (Paradoxurus hermaphroditis), leopard ( Panthera pardus) and black- napped hare (Lepus nigricollis) and small Indian civet cat (Viverricula indica), endemic golden palm civet cat ( Paradoxurus zeylonensis) , three species of mongoose (Herpestes fuscus), (H. smithi) and (H. vitticollis), an endemic shrew (Suncus sp.), gerbil (Tatera sp.), rat (Rattus rattus kandianus , soft- furred rat (Millardia meltada), Indian bush rat (Golunda elliotti), mouse (Mus cervicolor) and the endemic (Mus fernandoni)
The avifauna includes large numbers of warblers ( Prinia spp .), together with the usual lowcountry birds in forested areas, and a veriety of reptors. Water birds foun on the reservoir include rare visitors such as Indian cormorant ( Phalacrocorax fuscicollis ) and osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ). Notable endemic species are Sri Lanka spurfowl ( Galloperdix bicalcarata ), Sri Lanka junglefowl ( Gallus lafayetti) , Malabar pied hornbill ( Anthracoceros coronatus) , endemic gray horonbill ( Tockus griseus ) and brown- capped babbler ( Pellorneum fuscocapillum ).
The Uda Walawa Reservoir
The Uda Walawe reservoir itself, deep and continuously replenished by the never drying Walawe river which draws most of its water from the wooded Peak Wilderness sanctuary, the Horton Plains Nature reserve and the Haputale area. The fringes of the reservoir and the narrow creeks are now characterized by the preszence of weather- bleached skeletons of thousands of jungle trees, killed off by the dammed water. Tilapia mossambica has been introduced by the Fisheries Department. The reservoir could become an important breeding place for aquatic birds.

Trekking and Nature Trails in Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka

Trekking and Nature Trails in Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka

Horton Plains National Park

Trekking and Nature Trails in Horton Plains National Park, Sri Lanka
HORTON PLAINS NATIONAL PARK, Sri Lanka is undoubtedly one of the world's best nature reserves and eco tourism venues. It is characterised by a beautiful landscape of rolling hills, covered in upper montane forest and wet patana grassland.
In general, the forests are seen on the hilltops or upper slopes the grasslands in the valleys and lower slopes, eventually giving way to wetland habitats. Spanning approximately 10,000 hectares the park is also home to a wide variety of flora (57 species, 29 endemic to Sri Lanka) and 24 species of mammal such as elk, deer, giant squirrel, wild boar, wild hare, porcupine and leopard. For bird enthusiasts, there 87 species (14 of which are endemic), including many migratory birds.

The Plains also feature many interesting attractions such as 'Bakers Falls', 'Chimmini Pool' and the famous 'World's End' (a 3700 ft sheer drop that offers fabulous views of the tea estates below and all the way out to the distant southern coastline).

History and the Description of the Horton Plains National Park:

The Horton Plains are located on Sri Lanka 's highest plateau, between altitudes of 2,000 and 2, 300m. The landscape typically consists of undulating lands covered in a tropical cloud of forests or verdant montane savannah grasslands, locally known as patannahs. Visiting Horton Plains or 'Mahaeliya' as it is traditionally named is quite popular amongst locals, who mostly come to admire the views from the park's thrilling escarpments such as World's End at weekends . For this reason we recommend that you try to organise your visit during a weekday as this ensures that you will experience the Plain's isolated serenity.
Visitors to the park can follow a 10km loop that incorporates all of the spectacular features, enabling them to enjoy them while adhering to the strict rules for environment protection and nature conservation. The best time to visit is early in the morning as this is when the air is likely to be clearest so that you can enjoy the best of the views. In the afternoons, clouds tend to descend and the area becomes submerged in mist. This is equally enthralling though and provides evidence for the evolution of this forest type. Allowing a half-day should give you plenty of time to enjoy it all at a leisurely pace.

The Plains are actually named after Sir Robert Wilmot Horton, a rather selfish and bloody-minded Brit (no surprise there then) who was singularly responsible for the slaying of all of the elephants in the area between 1831 to 1837. Although there is little hope of elephants ever returning, you can at least walk around in comparative safety admiring the many other interesting creatures around and about. Of these perhaps the most worthy of a mention are the Samber Deer, a common sight at dusk and in the early hours of the morning.
In order to get the most out of your visit we recommend that an expert naturalist provided by Eco-team take you around. These guides are good company and extremely knowledgeable; having their input can add a lot more interest to the trip.

New endemic mammal found in Sri Lanka
Mountain Mouse - Deer in Horton Plains
One of Sri Lanka 's least known mammals, the mouse-deer found in the highlands of Sri Lanka has been photographed in the wild. This may well be the only occasion in which it has been photographed to a 'publishable standard' under truly wild conditions. . For many years it was believed that Sri Lanka had one species of Mouse-deer, which was shared with Southern India . Colin Groves a British Taxonomist in June 2005 published a paper in a special supplement (No 12) of The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology whereby he distinguished three species of* Mouse-deer from Sri Lanka and India. The Indian Mouse-deer (Moschiola indica) was, split, as a new species and is now- considered .endemic to the Eastern Ghats of India. The Mouse deer found in Sri Lanka was split in to two new species. The White spotted Mouse-deer found (Moshiola meeminna) in the dry zone of Sri Lanka and the Yellow-striped: Mouse-deer (Moschiola kathygre) found in the wet zone of Sri Lanka. Both species are endemic to SriLanka. Presently this raises the number of endemic mammals found in Sri Lanka to eighteen species.
Colin Groves in his paper on mouse-deer from India and Sri Lanka also stated that 'a single skull from Sri Lanka 's Hill Zone may prove to represent a fourth species'. The 'Mountain Mouse-deer' is evidently a very scarce animal. Many of the field staff Horton Plains National Park had not seen one although they regularly encounter other nocturnal mammals including leopard.
A Mountain Mouse-deer was seen under quite dramatic circumstances on Monday 25th February by wildlife populariser Gehan de Silva Wijerathne & Nadeera Weerasinghe Naturalist St Andrew's Hotel. With the permission from WLDC it was temporally held captive for research and observation purposes and released back in to the wild on the 27 th February.

Sinharajaya - Climate

• Climate
The Sinharaja lies within a rainfall range of 3,000 to 6,000 millimeters. Rainfall figures available for the last 60 years show values ranging from 3,614 to 5,006 millimeters in places, in and around the Sinharaja (Table 1). The mean monthly rainfall data for the year 1981 to 1984 given in Figure 6 indicates the general pattern of rainfall with a minimum of 50 millimeters even during the driest month and two distinct monsoonal peaks.

Table 1. Mean annual rainfall data available for locations in and around Sinharaja

Location Elevation (m) Time Period Mean Annual
Rainfall
(MAR) in mm.
Source
Beverly Estate
(South-eastern
boundary of reserve)
635 1925 - 1935 4054 Baker (1937)
Weddagala
( North-western boundary)
275 1948-1970 3691 Maheswaran (1982)
Kudawa
(North-western boundary)
340 1980-1981 1614 Maheswaran (1982)
Sinharaja field station
(3km within the North-western end of reserve)
380 1981-1984 5006 March of Conservation (1986)

The high annual temperature of the Sinharaja is typical of the tropics, recording little seasonal variation, but with marked daily ranges. The lowest mean monthly temperature has been abserved during the wettest season and the highest during the driest season. Conventional temperature patterns however change during long periods of drought or excessive rainfall. Some details of temperature and relative humidity recorded during the last 60 years are presented in Table 2.

Figure 6. Monthly distribution of rainfall and temperature from 1981 - 1989,
recorded at the Field Research Station in Sinharaja.



Table 2. Temperature and relative humidity data available for Sinharaja

Climate Elevation Within or outside forest Time of day Relative humidity Temperature C0 Source
Hapugoda Banks of Napala dola 570 within 2400
1400
93
83
21.0a
24.4b
Baker (1937)
Kumburugoda Banks of Napala dola 390 outside 700
1500
95
59
19.4a
31.1b
Merritt & Gunatilleke (1981)
Kudawa 340 outside - - 22.5a
34.1b
Gunatillake & Gunatilleke (1981)
Sinharaja 600 within - - 20.2a
25.2b

Sinharaja 600 within 1200 87 24.0 Maheswaran (1982)
Waturawa 510 within 1335 80 25.5
Waturawa 530 within 19.5a
24.0b

19.5a
23.5b
20.0a
24.0b

March for Consevation (1984)


A typical nature rivulet emerging from the dense forest of Sinharaja A common sight all over the wooded area with crystal clear water draining into the various waterways which makes the forest the most important watershed. This tropical humid rain forest plays a vital role in maintaining the quality and regulating the continuous supply of water. A numerous network of such rivulets found within the forest, feed the popular rivers Kalu Ganga to north and Gin Ganga to the south of Sinharaja.

Sinharajaya - Vertebrate Fauna

The complex vegetation structure of the rain forest provides a variety of dwelling places or niches for animals. Thus, not surprisingly, there is a rich diversity of fauna within a rain forest. Animals are often thought to be a passive or dependent component of the ecosystem that do not contribute actively to the continuity and growth of the forest. This, however, is contrary to the true facts. Although dependent on plants for food, animals also carry out functions vital to the growth of plants such as pollination and seed dispersal. These interaction and seed dispersal. These interaction are often complex and highly specialized, and have developed as plants and animals evolved together over millions of years. Studies on rain forest fauna, however, are relatively recent and little is known of their strategies for survival, and of the details of the role they play in propagating rain forest floral species.
• Vertebrate Fauna
Unlike the flora, the fauna of the Sinharaja has received comparatively little attention, and descriptions of the fauna had been limited to the occasional report had been limited to the occasional report by enthusiasts. It was only as recently as 1981 that preliminary systematic investigation were initiated. These studies were confined to the western sector of the Reserve, the sector which had been seriously disturbed by the logging project of the 1970's, and were carried out mainly to determine the effects of logging and deforestation on small mammals. However, during this project a determined effort was also made to identify and inventorize the fauna in general, a very necessary task in view of the scarcity of information.
To date, a check-list of 262vertebrate species has been complied which includes 60 species endemic to Sri Lanka. Table 8 gives an analysis of the fauna of Sinharaja in relation to the total fauna of Sinharaja in relation to the total fauna of the Island. From this Table it is evident that there is a high degree of representation of the island's fauna, particularly endemic species at Sinharaja. At the moment, this check-list is the only one all the major vertebrate groups found in a single location.

Table 8. Endemic and non-endemic vertebrate fauna of Sinharaja
in relation to the fauna in Sri Lanka.

Vertebrate Group Total no. of spa. in Sri Lanka No. of sps. in Sinharaja % of sps. in Sinharaja No. of endemic sps. in Sri Lanka No. of endemic sps. in Sinharaja % of endemic sps. at Sinharaja % of endemics out of total in sinharaja.
Fish 59 11 19% 16 3 19% 27%
Amphibia 37 20 54% 19 10 53% 50%
Reptiles
Snakes
Tetrapod

65 16 25% 34 6 18% 36%
79 29 37% 38 15 39% 52%
Birds 384 147 38% 20 18 90% 12%
Mammals 85 39 46% 12 8 67% 20%
Total 709 262 36% 139 60 43% 23%

Sinharajaya - Geology

• Geology
Geologically, Sri Lanka is divided into three main groups of rock types, viz. the highland group, the South-western group and the Vijayan Complex, all consisting of Precambrian crystalline rocks. The Sinharaja lies in the transition zone between the Highland group (Figure 7). The rock types found in the Khondalites of metamorphosed sediments and charnkite of the Highland group as well as the metasediments, charnokites and scapolite bearing calc-granulites of the south-western group.
Figure 7. The Sinharaja basic-zone (adapted from
Munasinghe and Dissanayake, 1981)

1 LIMESTONE
2 MIOCENE
3 WESTERN VIJAYAN GROUP
4 HIGHLAND GROUP
5 EASTERN VIJAYAN DROUP
6 SOUTH WESTERN GROUP

The most significant geological feature of the forest is a distinctive zone of basic rocks which are referred to as the "Sinharaja basic zone", and which consist of horneblende, pyriclasts, basic charnokites, pyroxene amphiobolites inter-banded with minor accurrences of quartzites, garnetbiotite gneisses and intermediate chrnokites. The basic chrnokites and pyroxene amphibolites indicate an igneous origin prior to metamorphism, created by a low pressure. It is thought that this basic rock formation has led to the desilication processes in the surrounding areas of Ratnapura and Deniyaya which have gem-fields of cordierite-bearing rocks.
The basic zone also coincides with an aeromagnetic anomaly stretching from Nawalakande through Pitakele and ending at the Denuwankanda-Beverly Estate area.

Sinharajaya -Mammals

Mammals
In sinharaja, as in any rain forest, the presence of larger mammals is indicated in the form of droppings, tracks, calls ect. The terrain and structure of the forest, however, make visual sightings comparatively difficult.

The Purple-faced leaf Monkey is perhaps the most observable of the mammals. These monkey move in grounds of 10 to 14, high up in forest canopy and their territorial calls echo for ,miles around the forest. The Toque Monkey is rare the forest but is more commonly observed in the peripheral areas.


Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Presbytes senex vetulus)
The monkey locally called hali-wandura (Presbytes senex vetulus) is an endemic animal commonly found in this forest. It is a vegetarian, feeding on leaves, fruits and flowers on top of the canopy.


Several large mammals are characteristically terrestrial and feed off the forest floor. This group includes herbivorous browsers and mixed feeders, such as the Wild Pig, the Sambhur, the Mouse Deer and the Barking Deer. Although Elephants were common in the periphery of the forest before the logging project, they have not been sighted in the western sector since 1974. However, a small group has been reported in the remnant grassland patches of the Handapan-Ella and Thangamali plains which are contiguous with the northeastern part of the forest.

The major carnivore of the forest is the Leopard. Leopards are seldom sighted but their presence is frequently confirmed by tracks and other sings. Genuinely rare are the Rusty-spotted Cat and the Fishing Cat, while in the periphery of the forest.




Prionailurus rubiginosa (Rusty Spotted Cat)


Panthera pardus (Leopard)


Of the nocturnal species, the two commonly recorded are the civets and the mongooses. Among these are Civet, an endemic species, and the Striped-necked Mongoose. The Sighting of the latter in 1982 was particularly in sinharaja are mainly rats, shrews and squirrels. Several significant sightings have been made in this group. The Bicoloured Rat and the Spiny Rat, both endemic genera, were found here, as were the endemic species of shrews, the Long-tailed Shrew and the Horsefield's Shrew. The Bi-coloured Rat and the Long-tailed Shrew have been recorded earlier only at elevations of 1,000 meters and above. The records for Sinharaja at 300 to 500 meters show that they have a considerably wider distribution than thought earlier. The Horsefield's Shrew too had earlier been recorded only in the eastern range of the central hills, hence the sightings at Sinharaja mark the first record of its occurrence in the wet lowlands.

The small mammals in particular formed the focus of quantitative studies carried out in the early 1980's. the results of comparative studies in three different types of habitats, viz. underscored the importance of undisturbed forests for the survival of endemic species. "The Bicoloured Rat, for example, which was predominant in natural sites disappeared at the slightest disturbance. This indicated the high habitat sensitivity of species. On the other hand, the species such as the spiny Rat appeared to be more adaptable and seemed able to exploit natural forest gaps as well as disturbed sites such as logged forest. There is also clear evidence that natural species are beging repidly displaced by aggressive commensals such as the Bandicoot and the Common House Rat.

There species of squirrels are common in the forest, the Flame-striped Jungle Squirrel, the Dusky-striped Jungle Squirrel and the Western Giant Squirrel. The latter is an arboreal species; so is the Flying Squirrel seen at dusk. Among other mammals recorded in the forest are the Porcupine and the Pangolin.

Bats are a characteristic group of mammals in the Asian tropics. Six species have been recorded in sinharaja, all of which are insectivorous species. It is interesting that the familiar Flying Fox or Fruit Bat has not been recorded in the forest. The only frugivorous species observed, the Short-nosed Fruit Bat has been sighted at Kudawa, on the outskirts of the forest.

A complete list of all mammals sighted at Sinharaja is given in Table 9.


Table 9. Mammals of the Sinharaja

Common Name Scientific Name
Large mammals
Elephant Elephas maximus maximus
Sambhur Cervus unicolour
Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak malabaricus
Mouse Deer Tragulus meminna
Wild Pig Sus scrofa cristatus
Leopard Panthera pardus fusca
Fishing Cat Zibethailurus viverrina
Rusty Spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosa
*Western Purple-Faced Leaf Monkey Presbytis senes vetulus
Jackal Canis aureus lanka
*Western Toque Macaque Macaca sinica aurifrons
Small mammals
**Sri Lanka Bi-coloured Rat Srilankamis ohiensis
**Spiny Rat Coelomys mayori pococki
House Rat Rattus rattus kandiyanus
House Rat Rattus rattus kelaarti
Greater Bandicoot Rat Bandicota indica
Field Mouse Mus cervicolour fulvidiventris
*Sri Lanka Long-tailed Shrew Crocidura miya
Horsefield's Shrew Crocidura horsefieldi
*House Shrew Suncus ceylanicus
Western giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura melanochra
Flame-striped Jungle Squirrel Funambulus layardi laysrdi
Dusky-striped Jungle Squirrel Funambulus sublineatus obscurus
Small Flying Squirrel Petynomys fuscocapillus layardi
*Golden-palm Civet Paradoxurus zeylonensis
Ringed-tail Civet Viverricula indica mayori
Brown Mongoose Herpestes fuscus rubidior
Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis
Otter Lutra lutra nair
Porcupine Hystrix indica
Pangolin Manis crassicaudata
Forest Bats
Rufous Horse-shoe Bat Rhinolophus rouxi rouxi
Great Horse-shoe Bat Rhinolophus luctus sobrinus
Great Leaf-nosed Bat Hipposideros lankadiva
False Vampire Bat Megaderma spasma ceylonense
Kelaart's Pipistrel Bat Pipistrellus ceylonicus
Painted Bat Kirivoula picta
Short-nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus sphinx

* Endemic species ** Endemic genera