Editorial photo #9898480 Human Interest

Sinharaja Rainforest In Sri Lanka

Common Green Forest Lizard (Calotes calotes) on a tree bench at Sinharaja Rain Forest in Kalawana, Sri Lanka, on April 12, 2023. The common green forest lizard (Calotes calotes) is an agamid lizard found in the forests of the Western Ghats and the Shevaroy Hills in India and Sri Lanka. Sinharaja is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of the trees are endemic, and many of them are considered rare. There is much endemic wildlife, especially birds, but the reserve is also home to over 50% of Sri Lanka's endemic species of mammals and butterflies, as well as many kinds of insects, reptiles, and rare amphibians. Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. (Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto)