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Current distribution and abundance of slender lorises (Loris tardigradus and L. lydekkerianus) in Sri Lanka

By Dewwanthi Karunarathna | March 10, 2008

Two species of slender lorises are currently recognized in Sri Lanka. They are Sri Lanka red slender loris (Loris tardigradus) and Grey slender loris (L. lydekkerianus), with four currently recognized sub-species; viz. Western red slender loris (L. t. tardigradus), Montane slender loris (L. t. nycticeboides), Northern grey slender loris (L. l. nordicus), and Highland slender loris (L. l. grandis). The objective of this survey was to map the distribution and estimate the abundance of lorises in Sri Lanka. The study was initiated in 2002 and continues to date. Thus far forty-five sites across all of the ecological zones have been surveyed covering approximately 400 km2. In six of these sites, lorises were not recorded. Of the other 39 sites, 223 sightings of slender loris (L. t. tardigradus (n = 86), L. t. nycticeboides (n = 3), L. l. nordicus (n = 122), and L. l. grandis (n = 12). Abundance estimates, base on sightings of animals km-1, were: L. t. tardigradus (0.58), L. t. nycticeboides (0.03), L. l. nordicus (0.713), and L. l. grandis (0.34) were recorded. The abundance of lorises varied in different habitat types with the highest abundance of lorises occurring in the dry zone monsoon forests. The least abundance of lorises was recorded in the cloud forest.

S N Gamage1, D K Weerakoon2 and A Gunawardena1
1Department of Animal Science, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
2Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Sri LankaS N Gamage1, D K Weerakoon2 and A Gunawardena1
1Department of Animal Science, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka
2Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Topics: Biodiversity, symposium 2006 | No Comments »

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