The Reptiles & Amphibians of Sri Lanka

Tour Code: LKA12

A 16-day herpetology tour of Sri Lanka’s habitats in search of their most spectacular reptiles and amphibians.

£3,995

Flight Inclusive

£3,495

Land Only

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Tour Itinerary and Reports

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1 Itinerary

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Highlights

Superb endemic lizards; Hump Snout Lizard, Rhino-horned Lizard, Leaf-nosed Lizard and Pygmy Lizard
Rare amphibians such as Half-webbed Pug-snouted Frog, Poppy's Shrub Frog and Golden-eyed Shrub Frog
Sought-after snakes such as Sri Lanka Humpnose Viper, Green Vine Snake and Sri Lankan Green Pitviper
The little-known species include such delights as Dumbara Agama, Karu's Horned Lizard and Pethiyagoda’s Crestless Lizard
Visit the wonderful cultural sites of Pidurangala Rock temple, Temple of the Sacred Tooth, Dambulla cave temples and Sigiriya Lion Rock
Comfortable en suite accommodation throughout

This exciting tour is part of our portfolio of herpetology holidays.

Summary

The endemic-rich Indian Ocean island of Sri Lanka is a dream destination for the naturalist and herpetologist. A land of ‘dragons’, Sri Lanka is home to some of the most fascinating and sought-after Agamid lizards on earth; Hump Snout Lizard (Lyriocephalus scutatus), Rhino-horned Lizard (Ceratophora stoddartii), Rough Nose Horned Lizard (Ceratophora aspera), Leaf-nosed Lizard (Ceratophora tennentii) and Pygmy Lizard (Cophotis ceylanica).

There are yet more ‘dragons’ in Sri Lanka, less known but equally fascinating as the aforementioned selection, and on this exceptional itinerary we’ll make an exciting search for these species too; Dumbara Agama (Cophotis dumbara), Pethiyagoda’s Crestless Lizard (Calotes pethiyagodai), Erdelen's Horned Lizard (Ceratophora erdeleni), Karu's Horned Lizard (Ceratophora karu) and Ceylon Black-band Whistling Lizard (Calotes desilvai).

Sri Lanka also picks up some of the wonderful species from the continent’s mainland and on this tour we have the opportunity to find the elegant Indian Star Tortoise (Geochelone elegans), Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Russel’s Viper (Daboia russelii) and Indian Chameleon (Chamaeleo zeylanicus), with our first hotel chosen for its close proximity to a stronghold for the latter species.

For more information about the holiday, please click the 'Detailed Information' button below, or download the full itinerary above.

Our itinerary takes in the opportunity to find some truly wonderful snakes, species such as Green Vine Snake (Ahaetulla nasuta), Brown Vine Snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta), Sri Lanka Humpnose Viper (Hypnale nepa), Lowlands Humpnose Viper (Hypnale zara), Humpnose Viper (Hypnale hypnale), White-lipped Pitviper (Trimeresurus albolabris) and the fantastic Sri Lankan Green Pitviper (Trimeresurus trigonocephalus).

Amphibians are little-known from Sri Lanka, despite having around 2.5% of the world’s frog and toad species, and on this tour we will have the chance to discover some little-known wonders such as the endangered Half-webbed Pug-snouted Frog (Uperodon palmatus), Poppy's Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus poppiae), Golden-eyed Shrub Frog (Pseudophilautus ocularis) and the striking Common Yellow-banded Caecilian (Ichthyophis glutinosus).

Using comfortable en suite accommodation throughout, we’ll explore each of Sri Lanka’s foremost herping locations of the UNESCO listed Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Morningside, Hortons Plains National Park and Nuwara Eliya whilst enjoying visits to the wonderful cultural sites of Pidurangala Rock temple, Temple of the Sacred Tooth, Dambulla cave temples and Sigiriya Lion Rock.

Outline Itinerary

Days

1 - 2

Arrive Colombo

Day

Wilpattu National Park

Days

4 - 5

Sigiriya

Day

Knuckles via Matale

Day

Pitawala & Riverstone

Day

Nuwara Eliya via Kandy

Day

Hortons Plains National Park

Days

10 - 12

Kitulgala - Sinharaja Rainforest

Days

13 - 15

Morningside & Udawalawe NP

Day

Depart Sri Lanka, inbound flights

View Itinerary

What's Included?

Food

All meals and bottled water provided throughout. Western, vegetarian and vegan diets catered for.

Accommodation

Comfortable lodges with private facilities.

Documents

Itineraries

Itinerary

Download

Dates & Prices

2027

Flight Inclusive

£3,995

Land Only

£3,495

Single Supplement

£495

Regional Departures

Would you rather depart from an airport closer to you? Give us a call at 1-844-433-9473 and we'll see what we can do.

Tour Leader

Dileepa Rajaguru

Dileepa, formerly a naturalist at the Santani Wellness Resort, has gained extensive experience in the field of wildlife.

2028

Flight Inclusive

£3,995

Land Only

£3,495

Single Supplement

£495

Regional Departures

Would you rather depart from an airport closer to you? Give us a call at 1-844-433-9473 and we'll see what we can do.

Tour Leader

Dileepa Rajaguru

Dileepa, formerly a naturalist at the Santani Wellness Resort, has gained extensive experience in the field of wildlife.

Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire

Tour Dates or Itinerary Don't Suit?

Allow our experts to create a private, customised itinerary with dates and prices to suit you.

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Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!