v6i1.132

ISSN: 1800-427X (print)
eISSN: 1800-427X (online)
DOI:10.47605/tapro.v6i1.132

Submitted date: 11 January 2014
Accepted date: 18 March 2014
Published date: 29 June 2014
Pp. 59.

Ceratophora stoddartii from Kegalle District (Sabaragamuwa Province), Sri Lanka

U.S.C. Udagedara & K.A.P.M.K. Karunarathna
*Corresponding author. E-mail: uscudagedara@gmail.com

The rhino-horned lizard Ceratophora stoddartii Gray, 1835 is endemic to Sri Lanka and is locally considered as Endangered. It is found in several montane and submontane habitats: Horton Plains, Hakgala, Namunukula Peak, Peak Wilderness, Haputale, Nuwara Eliya, Maratenna, Balangoda, Pattipola, Pidurutalagala, Ohiya, Kandapola, and Galaha. This slow moving lizard has been previously recorded around 1200–2200m asl. During January–August 2012 we observed ten (four adult males, five adult females and a juvenile) individual lizards at the Moratiya Estate (Maligawa Kanda) forest (near Dothalu-oya), Aranayake, (Kegalle District) Sri Lanka (7°07’10”N, 80°26'28” E) at an elevation of ~1000m. This is the first record of this species from Kegalle District. The habitat is geographically isolated from the Hatton plateau of the central highlands by a series of valleys and consists of submontane vegetation. The nearest previously recorded location is Galaha which is 30 km direct distance away in a northeasterly direction. The females at the Moratiya Estate were 78.2–81.1mm SVL (2.8–4.1mm horn length). The males were 72.7–81.2mm SVL (4.8–6.6mm horn length). All the adult individuals were found on the forest floor and the juvenile on a Strobilanthes leaf ~50cm above the ground. The Moratiya Estate forest is threatened by logging, man-made fire and the converting of forest to tea growing.

Section Editor: Thasun Amarasinghe