Sri Lankan Sambar Deer

The Sri Lankan Sambar Deer (rusa unicolor unicolor) is a sub-species of the Sambar Deer. Sambar (rusa unicolor) is a large deer native to the southern and southeast Asia. It belongs to the family Cervidae and the order Artiodactyla. The name is also spelled sambur, or sambhur. In Sinhala it is called Gona and in Tamil it is called Marai.

Description

In general, they attain a height of 102 to 160 centimeters at the shoulder. Head and body length varies from 162 to 246 centimeters with a 25 to 30 centimeters tail. Individuals belonging to western subspecies tend to be larger than those from the east. Thus the Sri Lankan subspecies is one of the largest Sambar Deer species with the largest antlers both in size and in body proportions. Large males weight up to 270-280 kg. The large, rugged antlers are typical – the brow tines being simple and the beams forked at the tip, so that they have only three tines. The antlers are typically up to 110 centimeters long in fully adult individuals. As with most deer, only the males have antlers. The shaggy coat can be anything from brown to dark grey in color. Sambars also have a small but dense mane, which tends to be more prominent in males.

Habitat & Diet

Sambars prefer the dense cover of deciduous shrubs and grasses, although the exact nature of this varies enormously with the environment. They mostly live in lowland dry forest and montane forest. Large herds of Sambar roam the Horton Plains National Park, where it is the most common large mammal. Sambars primarily live in woodland and feed on a wide variety of vegetation, including grasses, foliage, fruit, and water plants, depending on the local habitat. They are seldom found far from water. They also consume a great variety of shrubs and trees.

Behaviour

Sambars are nocturnal or crepuscular (active during twilight). The males live alone for much of the year, and the females live in small herds. This is an unusual pattern for deer, which more commonly live in larger groups. They often congregate near water, and are good swimmers. They are generally quiet, although the males bellow during the rut, and all adults can scream or make short, high-pitched sounds when alarmed. However, they more commonly communicate by scent marking and foot stamping. They are gentle animals although they can be defensive when threatened. Though they mate and reproduce year-round, Sambar calving peaks seasonally. Gestation lasts around eight months and usually only one calf is born at a time.

Threats & Conservation

The main threat to the Sri Lankan Sambar population is deforestation and environmental pollution. Humans pose the next threat as Sambars are hunted and poached for their meat, hide and antlers. Sambars are not usually hunted by other predators since they are very big animals although the young sambars are targeted. Although the IUCN has listed it under Least Concern there are several conservation projects to preserve the Sambar population in the island. 

Death Penalty in Sri Lanka

Death Penalty is by far the most severe punishment imposed since it allows the State to take away the most fundamental part of a human being, his life. The death penalty is recognized as brutal and primitive and therefore international organizations and covenants attempt to abolish it for good. The death penalty in Sri Lanka is a controversial issue and backed by a colourful history. The main argument against the death penalty is that judges can make mistakes and sentence an innocent man to death. The main argument for it is that it will establish retribution and act as a deterrent on society.

History

The history of death penalty dates back to the ancient civilizations such as Greece, Rome and even Sri Lanka where we see the execution of Socrates, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the penalties imposed on King Elara’s son, King Dhatusena and the family of Ahelapola. It was considered that certain crimes such as murder and rape should be treated with the punishment of death.

Methods of Execution

The methods of execution were gruesome as they ranged from the gallows and the guillotine in Europe to decapitation and hara-kiri in Asia. Other methods included poisoning such as the administration of hemlock, entombment through walling or in a pit, by way of animals such as being stomped to death by an elephant or ripped apart by lions.

Death Penalty in Sri Lanka

The British codified the death penalty in the Penal Code of 1883. It was to be executed by way of hanging. After independence Prime Minister Bandaranaike abolished the death penalty but was reinstated following his assassination. The Constitution in 1978 and the Code of Criminal Procedure declared that a death sentence required the ratification of the President which effectively ended executions and the final execution was in June 1976 for the Yodakandiya triple murders. In Sri Lanka it is imposed on murder, waging war against the state, narcotics trade, mutiny, aiding any of these crimes, abetment of suicide and giving false evidence in a trial meting out a death penalty. Since it is not executed the death penalty automatically converts to life imprisonment.

Following the assassination of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya President Chandrika Kumaratunga declared that death penalty was valid but never established. In 2007 President Mahinda Rajapaksa indicated that Sri Lanka has no plans to implement the death penalty quote “since this is a country where there are protests even if we try to kill a dog.”  

Red Slender Loris

The Red Slender Loris (loris tardigradus) is a small, nocturnal prosimian endemic to the rainforests of Sri Lanka. It belongs to the family Lorisidae and the Primates order. It is called Unahapuluwa in Sinhala and Thevangu in Tamil. This is number 6 of the 10 focal species and number 22 of the 100 EDGE mammal species worldwide considered the most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered. There are 2 subspecies of Red Slender Loris: Loris tardigradus tardigradus and Loris tardigradus nycticeboides.  

Characteristics

The Red Slender Loris is one of two slender loris species, the other one being the Grey Slender Loris. They have a body length between 11.6 and 17 centimeters weigh between 103 and 172 grams. They have soft, dense fur which it is reddish/brown in colour with a silver/grey coloured underside. Their limbs are long and slender and on each foot their big toe opposes the other 4 so they have a pincer-like grip. They do not have tails. They have large, round, forward facing eyes which enable them to have a precise depth perception. Their ears are large, round, thin and hairless at the edges. On their face they have a central pale stripe that starts above their eyes and runs down towards their nose.

Behavior & Habitat

The Red Slender Loris can be found in the lowland and tropical rainforests in the south western wet-zone of Sri Lanka. They form small social groups consisting of individuals of both sexes and some youngsters. They are nocturnal and during the day they rest in a tree hole, a dense leaf nest or a similar secure place. The adults typically hunt separately during the night. They are primarily insectivorous but also eat bird eggs, berries, leaves, buds and occasionally invertebrates as well as geckos and lizards. To maximize protein and nutrient uptake they consume every part of their prey, including the scales and bones. They make nests out of leaves or find hollows of trees or a similar secure place to live in. Females are dominant. They breed twice per year between May and December. After a gestation period of 166 - 169 days, 1 or 2 young are born.  The lifespan of this species is believed to be around 15–18 years in the wild.

Threat and Conservation

Habitat destruction is a major threat. It is widely trapped and killed for use in supposed remedies for eye diseases and get killed by snakes, dogs, and some fish. Other threats include: electrocution on live wires, road accidents and the pet trade. It is listed as an endangered species by the IUCN. It is protected under the Fauna and Flora Ordinance of 1938. 

Monitor Lizards

Water Monitor (Kabaragoya)

 Monitor Lizards are large reptiles belonging to the genus Varanus and the family, Varanidae. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs.  In Sinhalese the Monitor Lizard is called Thalagoya and the Water Monitor is called Kabaragoya and they are known as Udumbu in Tamil and Goannas in Australia.  There are about 60 varanid species and the last one was discovered in 2009 in New Guinea.

Evolution

Monitor lizards differ greatly from other lizards in several ways, possessing a relatively high metabolic rate for reptiles and several sensory adaptations that benefit the hunting of live prey. Recent research indicates that these lizards, including the Komodo dragon, may have some venom. It is also believed that the monitor lizards have evolved from the Mosasaurs that lived during the Cretaceous era.

Distribution

The various species of Varanus cover a vast area, occurring through Africa, the Asian subcontinent from India and Sri Lanka to China, down Southeast Asia to Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia and islands of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. There is also a large concentration of monitor lizards in Tioman Island in the Malaysian state of Johor.

Monitor Lizard (Thalagoya)

Characteristics and Behaviour

Some are small reptiles of less than a foot in length, while the Komodo Dragon, the largest living lizard, grows to 2-3 meters. All monitors are tropical reptiles and carnivorous but some are known to be omnivorous as well. They are active lizards that may be very hostile, lashing out with their tails upon the slightest provocation. Even a small monitor can produce a stinging lash with its tail. Monitors will devour anything they are capable of overpowering and tend to swallow their prey whole, like snakes. Monitors are daytime lizards. Their diet composes of small birds, large insects and crocodile and bird eggs, crabs, fish, other lizards, frogs and squirrels.

Monitors do not divest themselves of their tails, like some other lizards. Once lost, the tail of a monitor does not grow back. They are mostly terrestrial, but many are agile climbers and good swimmers. They lay from 7 to 37 eggs, which they often cover with soil or protect in a hollow tree stump. Eggs are 2 inches long with leathery shells. Incubation is 8 to 10 weeks. The young use an egg tooth to emerge.

Protection

In Sri Lanka monitor lizards have been granted protected status especially the Asian Water Monitor now limited to Sri Lanka. Killing or keeping any of these animals without a license will be fined. In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and all other parts of South India, catching or killing of monitor lizards is banned under Protected Species Act.