Comprehensive information on Lanka's mammals
The Mammals of Sri Lanka
Authors: Asoka Yapa and Gamini Ratnavira
Peace in Sri Lanka is being reflected in a vigorous rebound in
tourism, and the eco-tourism industry has justifiably and proudly
announced the attractions of the country's 'Big Five' the Asian
elephant, the leopard, the sloth bear, the blue whale, and the sperm
whale an assemblage of charismatic mammals unique in the world.
The species can easily hold their own against Africa's big five and
the fact that these animals can be seen in and around a small island
nation is remarkable. However, the full extent of interest in Sri
Lanka's mammal fauna encompasses a far greater variety over 125 species.
Many of these are not prominent creatures of forest and plain like
the iconic species but small, sometimes cryptic, animals that share Sri
Lanka with its human inhabitants. Nevertheless, each of these mammals
has a vital ecological role to play in our landscape.
The magnificent Asian Elephant may affect human life more than the
humble Nillu Rat but each is vital to the country in its own way.
The new book Mammals of Sri Lanka gives equal value to all of Sri
Lanka's mammals and provides descriptions that are as comprehensive as
current knowledge allows. The last comprehensive work on the island's
mammal fauna was the classic Manual of the Mammals of Ceylon by W.W.A.
Phillips in 1935, which has long been out of print.
The new book is in stunning full colour and is proudly printed and
bound in Sri Lanka based on ecologically responsible papers and ink.
Published by the Field Ornithology Group (FOGSL) of the Department of
Zoology, University of Colombo, it has 1012 pages, possesses an embossed
hard cover, and a colour dust jacket.
Unique features
Yapa and Ratnavira's book has several unique features. For the first
time it carries colour illustrations of almost all of Sri Lanka's mammal
species. Indeed, there are illustrations even of new species that are
proposed as endemic additions to the island's fauna. A possible new
loris, a chevrotain, and a beaked whale are among the animals pictured.
The colour illustrations are by world-renowned wildlife artist Gamini
Ratnavira and by excellent Sri Lankan photographers. For the first time
there are distribution maps for the land mammals.
Illustrations of scat and spoor are provided for many species after
all, those are often the only signs left by a wild animal. Dive
sequences are given for the larger whales in order to aid
identification.
Accuracy
Bringing all these together is Asoka Yapa's clearly written 225,000
word text which is aimed at the interested wildlife enthusiast but gives
no quarter to any scientific paper in terms of the accuracy and currency
of information. Indeed, the text has been thoroughly reviewed by world
experts such as Prof. Brock Fenton (Bats) and Prof. Hal Whitehead (the
Great Sperm Whale). Each taxonomic order of mammals in Sri Lanka is
introduced in its evolutionary, taxonomic, and ecological contexts.
Family descriptions follow, after which are species by species accounts
that cover morphology, behaviour, ecology, diet, reproduction,
distribution within Sri Lanka, and conservation status and concerns.
Where there are significant differences among subspecies within the
island, these are described and illustrated. There are also sections on
Sri Lanka's biogeography as it relates to mammals, a historical review
of Sri Lanka's mammal literature, an important 500+ entry bibliography
for those who want to pursue further information, the Sinhala and Tamil
names of every single species, coverage of mammals introduced to Sri
Lanka, dental formulae, life lists, even poetry. There has never been
anything like this book! |
