The reptilian fauna of Sinharaja is represented by 45 species, of while 21 are endemic. This includes a large proportion of snakes, several lizards, tortoises and skinks (Table 9). Among the snakes, two very rare species have been recorded. These are the burrowing fossorial species Rhinophis tricolorata and Haploceros ceylonensis. Rhinophis was first described as recently as 1975 and was sighted at Sinharaja in 1982, the first time it was found in the wild. Haploceros was considered to be a rare montane species found at elevations of 1,700 to 2,300 meters, until it was recorded in Sinharaja at elevations of 300 to 500 meters

                    Among the venomous species that occur in the forest are the Green-pitviper while is arboreal, the Hump-nosed Viper and the Krait while frequents the forest floor. The Cobra is seen occasionally while the Russel's Viper has been observed in secondary vegetation, although not seen in the undisturbed forest.

                    Among the lizards, the commonest is the familiar Green Garden Lizard. Several rare and endemic species of lizards are found in the forest (Table 11). Among these are Calotes liopepis, an arboreal species while is one of the rarest the island, the Hump-nosed Lizard, the largest lizard in the island; the Earless Lizard and the Rough-nose Horned Lizard are species of the forest floor with very restricted distribution being confined to undisturbed rain forests. A few species of geckos are also common.

Cerotophora aspera

(Rough-nose Horned Lizard)

                   The skinks found in the wet-zone of Sri Lanka are of evolutionary significance. The five genera of limbless lizards or the Acintoniae exhibit a progressive series from limbed to limbless forms. The only other centres of distribution of these genera are Madagascar and South Africa. In the Sinharaja, this group is represented by Nessia burtoni or the Three-toed Skink, an endemic genus. However, it is most likely that several more species of unidentified skinks may be present.    

Table 11. Some common and important reptiles of Sinharaja.

Common Name	Species Name
Snakes
*Green-pit Viper	Trimerasurus trinoncephalus
Merrem's Hump-nosed Viper	Hypnale hypnale
Walli's Hump-nosed Viper	Hypnale walli
Russell's Viper	Vipera russelli
*Sri Lanka Krait	Bungarus ceylonicus
Common Cobra	Naja naja
*Sri Lanka Wolf-snake	Cercaspis carinatus
*Barnes Cat Snake	Boiga barnesi
*Kukri snake	Oligodon calamarius
*Dumeril's Kukri Snake	Oligodon sublinensis
**Blossom Krait	Balanophis ceylonensis
**Drummond-hays Rough Snake	Aspidura drummondhayi
*Gunther's Bronze-back	Dendrelaphis caudolineolatus
Green-whip Snake	Dryophis nasutus
Brown-speckled Whip Snake	Dryophis pulverulentus
Ornate Flying Snake	Chrysopelea ornata
*Chequered Keelback	Xenochrophis asperrimus
Python	Python molurus
*Sri Lanka Pipe Snake	Cylindrophis maculatus
*Deraniyagala's Earth Snake	Rhinophis tricolorata
**Black-spined Snake	Haplocercus ceylonensis
Lizards and Geckoes
Green Garden Lizerd	Calotes calotes
*-	Calotes liolepis
**Hump-nosed Lizard	Lyiocephalus scutatus
*Earless Lizard	Otriocephalus scutatus
**Rough-nose Horned Lizard	Ceratophora aspera
*Great Forest Gecko	Gymnodactylus frenatus
Jungle Gecko	Cnemaspis kandianus
Water Monitor	Varanus monitor
Skinks
Rat-snake Skink	Mabuya carinata
Spotted Skink	Mabuya macularia
Smooth Skink	Sphenomorphus taprobanensis
**Three-toed Snake Skink	Nessia burtoni