Calliophis haematoetron, Smith, Manamendra-Arachchi & Somaweera, 2008

Samarawickrama, V. A. M. P. K., Samarawickrama, D. R. N. S. & Kumburegama, Shalika, 2012, Herpetofauna in the Kaluganga upper catchment of the Knuckles Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 5 (2), pp. 81-89 : 87-88

Calliophis haematoetron .

Conclusion

This survey is indicative of the importance of Knuckles range in providing refuge to a large number of amphibian and reptile species. These species are facing habitat loss, mainlY due to anthropogenic activities. Forest encroach- ment, seasonal fires on the drY phase of the Knuckles range, illegal felling of trees, occasional gem mining, and cardamom plantations are among the threats faced by the diverse species in the Knuckles. Over several decades, the forests in the Knuckles have degraded due to cardamom planting, and to a lesser extent, by shifting cultivation and potato growing ( Kariyawasam 1991). Cardamom plants thrive in shady, cool, and humid conditions at high elevations, so cardamom planters remove part of Chalcidoseps thwaitesi .

the canopy and clear understory of the forest. These activities may be extremely detrimental to some species. In addition, similar to what is observed in the Horton Plains National Park in Sri Lanka, forest dieback also occurs in large tracts of forest in the Knuckles range. Causes of this dieback are uncertain. The resulting forest destruction and fragmentation will certainly have an adverse effect on its inhabitants. Herpetofauna in particular are extremely vulnerable to habitat changes ( Pierce 1985; WYman 1990; Blaustein et al. 1998). Furthermore, habitat loss and fragmentation due to any number of reasons will be especially detrimental to species restricted to the Knuckles. Further studies and strict conservation mea- sures are necessary to help safeguard the herpetofauna and all the flora and fauna, that are maintaining a delicate balance in this ecosystem.

Acknowledgments. —The authors thank Anura Bandara and Prasad Wijesekara for their valuable field as- sistance. Also, we would like to thank Craig Hassapakis, Rohan Pethiyagoda, Suranjan Karunarathna, and anonymous reviewers who helped in diverse ways to enrich this work.