Just returned from hols on the tropical island of Sri Lanka. Although mainly a cultural tour visiting ancient painted cave temples, numerous gigantic Buddha statues, the dramatic sky fortress of Sigiriya, tea plantations and deserted ruined cities, I managed to see a great variety of wildlife along the way 🙂
Negombo Fish Market was a lively place with fishing boats landing their catch on the beach, rows of fish drying in the sun, fresh fish for sale such as Swordfish and Red Snapper plus prawns and a few different species of crabs
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Blue Swimming Crab Portunus pelagicus
Good selection of mammals with Toque Macaque Macaca sinica, Tufted Gray Langur Semnopithecus priam thersites, Purple-faced Leaf Monkey Trachypithecus vetulus, Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura and the ever present chimpmunks – Three-Striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus palmarum
Toque Macaque enjoying the spicy food
An ‘ever so serious looking’ Tufted Gray Langur
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Chestnut-streaked Sailor Neptis jumbah
Indian Wasp Moth Amata passalis – female laying egg
Signature Spider Argiope sp.
Cricket
Red & Black Millipede
A great selection of Dragonflies and Damselflies were seen including Asian Skimmer Orthetrum glaucum, Crimson-tailed Marsh Hawk Orthetrum pruinosum, Indigo Dropwing Trithemis festiva, Asian Groundling a.k.a. Ditch Jewel Brachythemis contaminate,Pied Parasol Neurothemis tullia, Common Bluetail Ischnura senegalensis, Painted Waxtail Ceriagrion cerinorubellum, Yellow Waxtail Ceriagrion coromandelianum and Marsh Dancer Onychargia atrocyana
Crimson-tailed Marsh Hawk Orthetrum pruinosum
Marsh Dancer Onychargia atrocyanaÂ
 
Baby Turtles at The Kosgoda Turtle Hatchery
Left – Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea, Right – Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas
Lizard
Water Monitor Varanus salvator
An endemic Scrub Frog Philatus rus
Yala Toad a.k.a. Atukorale’s Dwarf Toad Bufo atukoralei