Project leader: Suraj Goonewardene
Contact details: hsr.wild@gmail.com
Project Dates: 01.2005 - 01.2006
Project No: 206405
The Knuckles Mountain Range in Sri Lanka is a critically threatened area currently protected only under minimal safeguards. Its biodiversity is extensive in content and diverse in nature. Most notable is its herpetofauna. The range is host to a number of relict Agamids of the Gondwanaland era, several of which are found only in the small range, along with a number of equally interesting geckos and skinks, many of whom are also endemic to the region. Human encroachment into the unique cloud forest found throughout the range and the threat of global climate change mean that the ecosystems of the Knuckles Mountains are highly threatened. Unfortunately, very little research has been conducted in the region, so data is very scarce on many of these species of Agamids. Project Knuckles 2005 seeks to rectify this situation by building on last years' research and conducting a further in-depth study of the mountains' herpetofaunal biodiversity. This will then be of use to both the Sri Lankan government and the wider scientific community by providing much-needed data for the formulation of a conservation strategy for the protection of the Knuckles Mountain Range and its interesting fauna.
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