Excursion with experts

I won't bore you with all the technical details and take it from a person who's speaking from first hand experience, no amount of technical jargon is worth experiencing Knuckles.

The Range has pleasant surprises awaiting the open sensed traveller, at every nook and cranny. Even during dry season, encounters with rare fauna of Knuckles are not improbable, providing one is alert at all times.

However it is advisable to go along with an experienced person, since the senses of a novice is no match for the illusive and evasive nature of Knuckles' fauna.

I was fortunate to have the company of more than a dozen experts, lecturers and students of Biodiversity Management Diploma of the University of Colombo.

As was explained earlier Knuckles is special because it is home to a number of endemic species, not only to Sri Lanka, but also to the Knuckles Forest Reserve. One such species is Nannophrys marmorata, commonly known as Marbled streamlined frog. S. Karunaratne, wildlife enthusiast and student of the Diploma course, expertly gripped the frog between his fingers as he explained its biology. Only four Nannophrys species have been recorded so far and one - Nannophrys guentheri is already extinct.

Nannophrys marmorata - locally known as Dumbara Galpara Mediya - is confined only to the Knuckles Forest Reserve. It has a flat and wide body, contrary to most other frog species. It also has a round snout and warts with white tips on the surface of its skin. The females of this species are twice as large as the males. It hides itself in the cracks of rock surfaces of cascades, to avoid predators. Its finger tips are pointed, in order to get a better grip. Unlike the tadpoles of other species, whose habitats are pools, the habitat of these tadpoles are the rocky surfaces of cascades, onto which they stick to throughout the short transition period of their tadpole life. Another distinct characteristic of N. marmorata is its call, which is similar to that of a bird call.

As I promised there is something to see in every corner of the Knuckles Forest Reserve. Just outside our bungalow was a Otocryptis nigristigma, locally known as Kalu pellam ethi pinum katussa, a species of Kangaroo lizard. It is referred to as Kangaroo lizard because its hind legs and fingers are comparatively longer than that of its front legs. Another distinct characteristic of this lizard is the sack below the neck. It contains a big black patch in a green to luminous yellow background, which looks like a third eye. Found only among the males of the species - who are highly territorial - this sack which resembles a third eye is used to ward off any bold trespassers and during pre-mating behaviour. This shy terrestrial lizards feed on pest insects and therefore is of great significance to agriculture. Since Ilukkumbura lies on the dry-wet zone border, the Knuckles Forest Reserve is the only place both Otocryptis nigristigma - which is restricted to the dry zone - and its cousin - Otocryptis weigmanni, which is restricted to the Wet Zone - can be found sharing the same habitat.

But unfortunately the biodiversity of knuckles is fast changing for the worst. And the main threat seems to be humans. Threats caused by man ranges from disturbing wildlife, dumping liquor bottles in the streams, littering the Reserve with polythene to intentional bush fires. The Forest Department together with IUCN (The World Conservation Union) is doing their utmost to keep the Reserve in shape. So as the saying goes, "Take only photos and leave only foot prints". - Sajitha