About Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a tropical island which spans around 430km in length and 230km across at its widest point. It is situated just north of the equator and extremely close to the Indian subcontinent. Despite its miniscule proportions, the country holds a wealth of flora and fauna. The island is divided into three primary climatic zones. The wet zone, dry zone and the intermediate zone based on the annual rainfall.

Its elevation, starting at sea level in the coastal areas, rises up to over 8,000 feet in the central hills, which supplies the perfect conditions for a variety of natural delights that are sure to leave you spellbound.

So just how diverse is the fauna and flora of this tropical paradise? The following list will give you a rough idea.

Approximately,

90 + species of land mammals
26 species of sea mammals
435 + species of birds
244 species of butterflies
120 species of dragonflies
78 species of fresh water fish
1,800 + Saltwater fish
59 species of freshwater crustaceans
356 species of ground beetles
99 species of frogs
95 + species of land snake
236 species of land snails
400 + species of spider
4,143 species of flowering plants
1,920 species of fungi
200+ species of lichen
756 species of mosses and liverworts

Many of these species can be seen without difficulty in our national parks and sanctuaries, of which there are over 15.