Rescuing a Badly Injured Cobra Snake!
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae (with some exceptions)
Binomial name
Naja naja
The Indian cobra (Naja naja), also known as the spectacled cobra, Asian cobra, or binocellate cobra, is a species of the genus Naja found, in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, and a member of the "big four" species that inflict the most snakebites on humans in India.[4][5] It is distinct from the king cobra which belongs to the monotypic genus Ophiophagus. The Indian cobra is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers. It is now protected in India under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act
Cobra is the common name of various elapid snakes, most of which belong to the genus Naja
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The Cobra Snake | Rescue Cobra Snake in Sri Lanka | Naja Naja | Nagaya
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae (with some exceptions)
Binomial name
Naja naja
The Indian cobra (Naja naja), also known as the spectacled cobra, Asian cobra, or binocellate cobra, is a species of the genus Naja found, in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan, and a member of the "big four" species that inflict the most snakebites on humans in India.[4][5] It is distinct from the king cobra which belongs to the monotypic genus Ophiophagus. The Indian cobra is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers. It is now protected in India under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act
Cobra is the common name of various elapid snakes, most of which belong to the genus Naja
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The Brown-Headed Barbet With Sound | Asian Barbet | Polos Kottoruwa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Megalaimidae
Genus: Psilopogon
Species: P. zeylanicus
Binomial name
Psilopogon zeylanicus
The Brown-headed barbet (Psilopogon zeylanicus) is an Asian barbet species native to the Indian subcontinent, where it inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. It is widespread, with its range stretching from the Terai in southern Nepal in the north to Sri Lanka in the south, encompassing most of peninsular India, and listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is an arboreal species of gardens and wooded country which eats fruit and insects. It is fairly tolerant of humans and often seen in city parks. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-4 eggs. It forages on mangoes, ripe jackfruit, papaya, banana, figs and similar cultivated fruit trees. Its habitat includes urban and country gardens; it tends to eschew heavy forest. It nests in a suitable hole in a tree that it will often excavate. Both sexes incubate the eggs and often communicate with each other using their Kura, kura calls.
The adult has a streaked brown head, neck and breast, and a yellow eye patch. The rest of the plumage is green. It is 27 cm (11 in) long with a large head, short neck and short tail.
Its call is a repetitive kutroo…kutroo…kutroo, but silent in the winter. Others take up the call when one starts.
Very common breeding resident of all zones while becoming less common at higher hills. Much prefer to village gardens and open lands than dense forests. It lives in pairs or sometime in small loose feeding parties, usually keep in touch by means of its loud monotonous call. Its food consist mainly of varies kind of berries and fruits. It also feed on insects such as beetles taken by fly, since being an arboreal bird it never descending to the ground. The main breeding season is from February to July while secondary season may be possible in August to September. Nest, a hole in a soft-wooded dead stem or branch of a tree pecked out by birds themselves.
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Black-Hooded Oriole With Sound | Black-Headed Oriole | Kaha Kurulla
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Oriolidae
Genus: Oriolus
Species: O. xanthornus
Binomial name
Oriolus xanthornus
The black-hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) is a member of the oriole family of passerine birds and is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia.
It is a bird of open woodland and cultivation. The nest is built in a tree, and contains two eggs. Its food is insects and fruit, especially figs, found in the tree canopies where they spend much of their time.
Black-hooded Oriole is a common breeding resident of the country inhabiting forests, gardens and such wooded places from lowlands to mid hills. It feeds on fruits and insects by flying from tree to tree usually as pairs or as small family parties. The breeding season lasts from October to May.
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White Throated Kingfisher | Halcyon smyrnensis| Kingfisher | Pilihuduwa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Alcedinidae
Subfamily: Halcyoninae
Genus: Halcyon
Species: H. smyrnensis
Binomial name
Halcyon smyrnensis
The white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) also known as the white-breasted kingfisher is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia from the Sinai east through the Indian subcontinent to the Philippines. This kingfisher is a resident over much of its range, although some populations may make short distance movements. It can often be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even birds. During the breeding season they call loudly in the mornings from prominent perches including the tops of buildings in urban areas or on wires.
Very common breeding resident of all zones though less abundant at higher elevations. Usually perch on roadside telephone wires or similar vantage point in open areas, often well away from water and pounce upon its prey which basically consists of grasshoppers, small lizards, frogs, earthworms, beetles, mantises, etc. It is said that fish only a secondary food item of this kingfisher unlike other members of its family. Its call note which is a loud rattling scream somewhat like red-backed woodpecker’s flight call, uttered when it takes wings and short chick often uttered when waiting on a post or an exposed branch for its prey. Nesting burrow of this kingfisher is a dug in a river bank, a tank bank or even road side cutting (again not closer to water) and sloping upward tunnel ends in a widened egg chamber. Nesting period extends from December to June while peak season is March -April. It is observed that to feed its young white-throated kingfisher take small birds such as sunbirds, Munias and tailor birds.
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Most Beautiful Dragonfly Part 5 | Skyhunter | Sri Lankan Dragonfly
ingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Families
Aeshnoidea
Aeshnidae (hawkers or darners)
Austropetaliidae
Gomphidae (clubtails)
Petaluridae (petaltails)
Cordulegastroidea
Chlorogomphidae
Cordulegastridae (spiketails)
Neopetaliidae
Libelluloidea
Corduliidae (emeralds)$
Libellulidae (skimmers, etc)
Macromiidae (cruisers)
Synthemistidae (tigertails)
A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos, "unequal" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
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Most Beautiful Dragonfly Part 4 | Skyhunter | Sri Lankan Dragonfly
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Families
Aeshnoidea
Aeshnidae (hawkers or darners)
Austropetaliidae
Gomphidae (clubtails)
Petaluridae (petaltails)
Cordulegastroidea
Chlorogomphidae
Cordulegastridae (spiketails)
Neopetaliidae
Libelluloidea
Corduliidae (emeralds)$
Libellulidae (skimmers, etc)
Macromiidae (cruisers)
Synthemistidae (tigertails)
A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos, "unequal" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
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Most Beautiful Dragonfly Part 3 | Skyhunter | Sri Lankan Dragonfly
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Families
Aeshnoidea
Aeshnidae (hawkers or darners)
Austropetaliidae
Gomphidae (clubtails)
Petaluridae (petaltails)
Cordulegastroidea
Chlorogomphidae
Cordulegastridae (spiketails)
Neopetaliidae
Libelluloidea
Corduliidae (emeralds)$
Libellulidae (skimmers, etc)
Macromiidae (cruisers)
Synthemistidae (tigertails)
A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos, "unequal" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
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Most Beautiful Dragonfly Part 2 | Skyhunter | Sri Lankan Dragonfly
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Families
Aeshnoidea
Aeshnidae (hawkers or darners)
Austropetaliidae
Gomphidae (clubtails)
Petaluridae (petaltails)
Cordulegastroidea
Chlorogomphidae
Cordulegastridae (spiketails)
Neopetaliidae
Libelluloidea
Corduliidae (emeralds)$
Libellulidae (skimmers, etc)
Macromiidae (cruisers)
Synthemistidae (tigertails)
A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos, "unequal" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
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Most Beautiful Dragonfly Part 1 | Skyhunter | Sri Lankan Dragonfly
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera
Families
Aeshnoidea
Aeshnidae (hawkers or darners)
Austropetaliidae
Gomphidae (clubtails)
Petaluridae (petaltails)
Cordulegastroidea
Chlorogomphidae
Cordulegastridae (spiketails)
Neopetaliidae
Libelluloidea
Corduliidae (emeralds)$
Libellulidae (skimmers, etc)
Macromiidae (cruisers)
Synthemistidae (tigertails)
A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos, "unequal" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.
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Large Flying Fox Enjoying a Mango
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Clade: Scrotifera
Order: Chiroptera
Pteropus (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in the South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, East Africa, and some oceanic islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.There are at least 60 extant species in the genus.
The second largest order of mammals after rodents, bats comprise about 20% of all classified mammal species worldwide, with over 1,400 species. These were traditionally divided into two suborders: the largely fruit-eating megabats, and the echolocating microbats. But more recent evidence has supported dividing the order into Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiroptera, with megabats as members of the former along with several species of microbats. Many bats are insectivores, and most of the rest are frugivores (fruit-eaters) or nectarivores (nectar-eaters). A few species feed on animals other than insects; for example, the vampire bats feed on blood. Most bats are nocturnal, and many roost in caves or other refuges; it is uncertain whether bats have these behaviours to escape predators. Bats are present throughout the world, with the exception of extremely cold regions. They are important in their ecosystems for pollinating flowers and dispersing seeds; many tropical plants depend entirely on bats for these services.
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Mallotus Shield Bug | Cantao Ocellatus | Beautiful Bug | කුරුමිණියා
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Scutelleridae
Genus: Cantao
Species: C. ocellatus
Binomial name
Cantao ocellatus
Cantao ocellatus is a species of shield bug in the family Scutelleridae found across Asia. Reddish or ochre in overall colour it has dark legs and bluish black antennae. A dark bluish black stripe is present along the central line of the head. The pronotum sometimes has two black spots on the front margin and sometimes has eight spots. The scutellum has eight or six black spots of variable size but with yellowish borders. The lateral angle of the pronotum is elongated into a curved spine but this can be much reduced. A distinctive symbiotic bacterial genus Sodalis from phylum Gammaproteobacteria is found in its midgut. Maternal care of eggs and nymphs has been noted in this species.The female covers the eggs after they are laid but eggs on the edge that she cannot cover are often parasitized by wasps.[4]
Cantao ocellatus from Anaimalai hills
They suck sap from a wide range of plants including Macaranga, Kigelia, Mallotus, Bischofia javanica and Broussonetia papyrifera.
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The Myna Bird | Jungle and Hill Mynas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Mynas are medium-sized passerines with strong feet. Their flight is strong and direct, and they are gregarious. Their preferred habitat is fairly open country, and they eat insects and fruit. Plumage is typically dark, often brown, although some species have yellow head ornaments.
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The Oriental Ratsnake | Ptyas Mucosa | Sri Lankan Rat Snake | Garadiya
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Ptyas
Species: P. mucosa
Binomial name
Ptyas mucosa
Ptyas mucosa, commonly known as the oriental ratsnake, Sri Lankan rat snake, darash or dhaman, is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in parts of South and Southeast Asia. Dhamans are large snakes. Typical mature total length is around 1.5 to 1.95 m (4 ft 11 in to 6 ft 5 in) though some exceed 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The record length for this species was 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in), second only to their cousin Ptyas carinata among living colubrid snakes.[4][5] Despite their large size, oriental ratsnakes are usually quite slender with even a specimen of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) commonly measuring 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in) only around in diameter[which?].[6] Furthermore, the average weight of ratsnakes caught in Java was around 877 to 940 g (1.933 to 2.072 lb), though larger males of over 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) (which average mildly larger of the two sexes in the species) may easily weigh over 2.5 kg (5.5 lb). Their color varies from pale browns in dry regions to nearly black in moist forest areas. Dhamans are diurnal, semi-arboreal, non-venomous, and fast-moving. Dhamans eat a variety of prey and are frequently found in urban areas where rodents thrive.
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Sinharaja Rain Forest Beautiful Butterfly Collection | Butterfly
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Rhopalocera
Subgroups
Superfamily Hedyloidea:
Hedylidae
Superfamily Papilionoidea:
Hesperiidae
Lycaenidae
Nymphalidae
Papilionidae
Pieridae
Riodinidae
A butterfly is a flying insect with a small body and large, often colorful wings. Butterflies are closely related to moths, which also have wings that are large in proportion to their bodies and antennae. A butterfly is distinctive because of its relatively large size and lovely, patterned wings.
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises the large superfamily Papilionoidea, which contains at least one former group, the skippers (formerly the superfamily "Hesperioidea"), and the most recent analyses suggest it also contains the moth-butterflies (formerly the superfamily "Hedyloidea"). Butterfly fossils date to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago.
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Funny Bird Knocking the Window | Why Do Birds Fly Into Windows? | Funny Birds
Why Do Birds Fly Into Windows?
Do you wonder why a bird would strike the same window not once or twice but many times over? Can they not see the glass and avoid it next time?
Well, you will be surprised to learn that they actually don’t see windows as well as humans do and they cannot tell that the glass is impassable. Unfortunately, many die or sustain serious injuries as a result of such collisions.
In addition to hurting themselves, when birds get used to coming to your window, they can also damage nearby appliances such as a window air conditioner if you leave the windows open.
Here are a couple of interesting reasons why birds keep flying into windows.
They think glass is passable: Believe it or not, birds actually think they can fly right through glass. This is especially true if there is a mirror or a window directly opposite the window in front of the bird. This gives them the illusion of a thruway only to be stunned when they collide with the glass.
They are territorial: Thought birds were laid-back free spirits? Well, think again. Even the littlest of these feathered creatures can be very aggressive and territorial. This behavior is most prominent in spring during the breeding season and in the fall at the peak of the migration season.
a bird (mostly males) flies next to a window and sees its reflection, it confuses this with that of a rival bird and heads straight for its ‘competitor’ only to strike the window.
They see a reflection of their surrounding: Glass can reflect the sky and surrounding trees. Unfortunately, birds interpret these reflections as the real thing and fly towards it only to crash into the window.
They have evolved differently: Birds have evolved over thousands of years and they did not have to deal with glassy skyscrapers and double-glazed windows until recently. Let’s just say birds aren’t that street smart—they aren’t well equipped to deal with all the crazy urban architecture!
Artificial lights distract them: Nocturnal birds depend on moon and starlight to illuminate their path. However, they will blindly follow any source of light that appears on their flight path, including light bulbs inside a building. Switching off unused lights at night can help reduce bird window strikes.
Spiritual Meaning of Birds Hitting Window
We receive messages with spiritual meaning almost daily. We often see signs such as repeating numbers, animals, different events, etc.
Birds are often one of those signs from the spirit realms and are considered messengers from God and our guardian angles.
Spiritual Meanings of Birds Hitting Windows
If you keep having different bird experiences, it would be wise to remember the details of such events and try to decipher them. Use your inner guidance to find the answers and the message they are trying to convey to you.
A bird hitting a window is a powerful omen that shouldn’t be ignored. It sometimes has a bad meaning. The truth is that birds can be attracted by the reflection of the window glass and hit it by mistake. That often happens on taller buildings and has no significant message.
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Southern Shrub Frog | Pseudophilautus Nanus | Endemic to Sri Lanka
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Rhacophoridae
Genus: Pseudophilautus
Binomial name
Pseudophilautus nanus
Pseudophilautus nanus, known as Southern Shrub Frog[1] is an extinct species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It was endemic to Sri Lanka. This species is known to science only from the lectotype. There have been no records since the species was described in 1869, from material collected in southern Sri Lanka, so it is now believed to be extinct. Recent, extensive field surveys of the amphibian fauna of Sri Lanka have failed to rediscover this frog along with many other members of this genus.
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The Spotted Dove | Spotted Dove Sound | අළු කොබෙයියා | Alu Kobeyyia |
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Spilopelia
Species: S. chinensis
Binomial name
Spilopelia chinensis
The spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced to many parts of the world and feral populations have become established.
This species was formerly included in the genus Streptopelia with other turtle-doves, but studies suggest that they differ from typical members of that genus. This dove is long tailed buff brown with a white-spotted black collar patch on the back and sides of the neck. The tail tips are white and the wing coverts have light buff spots.
There are considerable plumage variations across populations within its wide range. The species is found in light forests and gardens as well as in urban areas. They fly from the ground with an explosive flutter and will sometimes glide down to a perch. It is also called the mountain dove, pearl-necked dove, lace-necked dove, and spotted turtle-dove.
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Shikra | Accipiter Badius Badius | Kurulugoya
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Accipiter
Species: A. badius
Binomial name
Accipiter badius
Common breeding resident throughout the island. It avoids dense forests and can be found in open areas, plantations, village gardens and even in towns with some trees. Shikra preys mainly on small birds and lizards. It usually perches high in a tree watching for a prey and flies down to catch it with talons. It breeds from March to May and probably again in August to September and build a nest with twigs and grasses place among foliage high in a big tree.
The shikra (Accipiter badius) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the little banded goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usually been considered as subspecies of the shikra. The shikra is very similar in appearance to other sparrowhawk species including the Chinese goshawk and Eurasian sparrowhawk. They have a sharp two note call and have the typical flap and glide flight. Their calls are imitated by drongos and the common hawk-cuckoo resembles it in plumage.
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White-Rumped Munia | White-Rumped Mannikin | Nithamba sudu wee kurulla
Common bird lives in all regions of Sri Lanka. Can be seen in grass lands, paddy-fields and forests. It feeds mainly on seeds. Apart from Sri Lanka this bird has been distributed in many other Asian countries.
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Mating of Water Monitors | The Asian Water Monitor
"Water monitor" redirects here. For other uses, see Water monitor (disambiguation).
"Varanus salvator" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Varanus salvadorii.
Asian water monitor
Varanus salvator
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Varanidae
Genus: Varanus
Subgenus: Soterosaurus
Species: V. salvator
Binomial name
Varanus salvator
The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most common monitor lizards in Asia, ranging from coastal northeast India, Sri Lanka, mainland Southeast Asia to Indonesian islands where it lives close to water. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.[1] It was described by Laurenti in 1768 and is among the largest squamates in the world.
The Asian water monitor is also called Malayan water monitor, common water monitor, two-banded monitor, rice lizard, ring lizard, plain lizard, no-mark lizard and water monitor.
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Blood Sucker | Leech | Leech Attack Humans | Kudella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Subclass: Hirudinea
Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular, segmented bodies that can lengthen and contract. Both groups are hermaphrodites and have a clitellum, but leeches typically differ from the oligochaetes in having suckers at both ends and in having ring markings that do not correspond with their internal segmentation. The body is muscular and relatively solid, and the coelom, the spacious body cavity found in other annelids, is reduced to small channels.
The majority of leeches live in freshwater habitats, while some species can be found in terrestrial or marine environments. The best-known species, such as the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, are hematophagous, attaching themselves to a host with a sucker and feeding on blood, having first secreted the peptide hirudin to prevent the blood from clotting. The jaws used to pierce the skin are replaced in other species by a proboscis which is pushed into the skin. A minority of leech species are predatory, mostly preying on small invertebrates.
The eggs are enclosed in a cocoon, which in aquatic species is usually attached to an underwater surface; members of one family, Glossiphoniidae, exhibit parental care, the eggs being brooded by the parent. In terrestrial species, the cocoon is often concealed under a log, in a crevice or buried in damp soil. Almost seven hundred species of leech are currently recognised, of which some hundred are marine, ninety terrestrial and the remainder freshwater.
Leeches have been used in medicine from ancient times until the 19th century to draw blood from patients. In modern times, leeches find medical use in treatment of joint diseases such as epicondylitis and osteoarthritis, extremity vein diseases, and in microsurgery, while hirudin is used as an anticoagulant drug to treat blood-clotting disorders.
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The Green-Billed Coucal | Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List | Atti-Kukula
ඇට්ටි කුකුළා
ලංකාවට ආවේණික වේ.
රතු දත්ත පොතට ඇතුලත් වේ.
It is endemic to Sri Lanka's wet zone and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Centropus
Species: C. chlororhynchos
Binomial name
Centropus chlororhynchos
The green-billed coucal (Centropus chlororhynchos) is a member of the cuckoos. It is endemic to Sri Lanka's wet zone and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as the small population declined due to forest destruction and fragmentation.[1] It inhabits the tall rainforests of southwest Sri Lanka and nests in bushes. Its typical clutch is 2–3 eggs.
It is a medium to large bird at 43 cm. Its head and body is purple-black, the wings are maroon above and black below, and the long tail is dark green. The bill is a distinctive light green. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and streaked. It is somewhat smaller and less contrasted than the more widespread greater coucal. Despite its size and distinctive call, this is a difficult species to see because of the dense habitat in which it lives and its retiring nature. It feeds on a wide range of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates, but snails are a favorite.
In Sri Lanka, this bird is known as bata atti-kukula – or, wal atti-kukula in the Sinhala language. This bird appears in a 20 rupee Sri Lankan postal stamp.
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The Yellow-Fronted Barbet | Psilopogon Flavifrons | Asian Barbet | Kottoruwa
#GamēWeddo
#ගමේවැඩ්ඩෝ
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Piciformes
Family: Megalaimidae
Genus: Psilopogon
Species: P. flavifrons
Binomial name
Psilopogon flavifrons
The yellow-fronted barbet (Psilopogon flavifrons) is an Asian barbet, which is an endemic resident breeder in Sri Lanka, where it inhabits subtropical and tropical moist forests, wetlands, plantations and rural gardens up to an altitude of 2,000 m (6,600 ft).[1] It has green plumage with a yellow crown and blue patches below the eyes, on the throat and the chin. It is 21–22 cm (8.3–8.7 in) long and weighs 57–60 g . It feeds on berries, fruits and occasionally insects. It nests in a tree hole, where it lays 2-3 eggs.
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Millipede | Hakarella
Millipedes are a group of arthropods that are characterized by having two pairs of jointed legs on most body segments; they are known scientifically as the class Diplopodia, the name derived from this feature. Most millipedes are slow-moving detritivores, eating decaying leaves and other dead plant matter.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
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