Mendis Wickramasinghe

Last updated
L. J. Mendis Wickramasinghe
MG 0256 2 (1) Ok (c) Nethu Wickramasinghe 2.jpg
Born6 May 1976
NationalitySri Lankan
Occupation(s)Herpetologist, Wildlife Photographer
OrganizationHerpetological Foundation of Sri Lanka
Known forEnvironmental activism
Notable workRepertoire: A pictorial gateway to Sri Lanka's nature
SpouseNethu Wickramasinghe (2007-present)
Children3
AwardsState Literary Award-2016

L. J. Mendis Wickramasinghe is a Sri Lankan herpetologist, [1] taxonomist, [2] naturalist, [3] and wildlife photographer. [4] [5] Inspired by a childhood passion on snakes and by the diversity of his motherland, he has spent over two decades experiencing the forests across Sri Lanka.

Contents

Biography

Wickramasinghe was born in Kalutara, 6 May 1976, and educated in Tissa Central College. [6] He was employed as an Ecologist at the Sri Lanka Program of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) [7] for nearly seven years (2000-2007).

Mendis formed the Herpetological Foundation of Sri Lanka (HFS) in year 2007, to further pursue in independent research on the herpetofauna of Sri Lanka, and also provide a platform for young herpetologists to initiate research.

Professional experience

With over 25 years of field research experience on the herpetofauna of Sri Lanka, his work has focused on taxonomic identification and biodiversity assessment of reptiles and amphibians in an effort to increase awareness on the importance of conserving these unique organisms and their habitats in Sri Lanka, as part of our natural heritage.

He has contributed his expertise towards national projects [8] on identification of threatened species in Sri Lanka, in revising the Fauna and Flora Ordinance, and has facilitated the declaration of several protected areas in the country. He is the author of the book titled “Recognizing deadly venomous snakes from harmless snakes in Sri Lanka”. [9]

Discoveries

He is credited with the discovery of over thirty new species (geckos, skinks, snakes and amphibians), [10] [2] also re-discovering [11] [12] [13] [14] several species of amphibians believed to have been extinct. [15]

Photography

He began engaging in wildlife photography in a much later stage in his life while initially engaged in photography for scientific purposes, finally finding abode in the art of wildlife photography. Intrinsically motivated to capture the beauty led by an overwhelming passion to express the most artistically composed image in what he sees, he seeks to share his experiences with those that admire the natural world and to protect the hidden spectacles of the wilderness for the future generations.

“Repertoire: A pictorial gateway to Sri Lanka’s nature” [15] marked his debut publication as a photographer. His wildlife images have been awarded both nationally and internationally. He currently contributes his knowledge as a wildlife photography lecturer and a national and international competition judge, while being the main course instructor in Wildlife photography at the Institute of Multimedia Education (IME). [16]

Related Research Articles

<i>Adenomus</i> Genus of amphibians

Adenomus is a small genus of true toads, with only two species, endemic to Sri Lanka. Adenomus kandianus was considered as extinct for 133 years, but was rediscovered in October 2009 in the Kandy area.

<i>Rhinophis</i> Genus of snakes

Rhinophis is a genus of nonvenomous shield-tail snakes found in Sri Lanka and South India. Currently, 24 species are recognized in this genus. Of the 24 species, 18 are endemic to Sri Lanka, while six are endemic to South India.

<i>Adenomus kandianus</i> Species of amphibian

Adenomus kandianus is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae endemic to Sri Lanka. It is a high-altitude species known only from few localities. The specific name kandianus means "from Kandy" and seems to suggest that the type material came from near the city of Kandy.

<i>Pseudophilautus hypomelas</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudophilautus hypomelas is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae endemic to Sri Lanka. It is sometimes referred to as the webless shrub frog. In 2004 it was declared extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature when, despite extensive field efforts, no specimen had been seen in the wild after the species was described by Albert Günther in 1876. However, this frog was rediscovered in 2010 in the Peak Wilderness, a highly biodiverse area in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. Thus, this species had been "lost" for more than 130 years.

Pseudophilautus stellatus, also known as starry shrub frog or Kelaart's starry shrub frog, is a frog species in the family Rhacophoridae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. It was thought to be extinct for 156 years until it was rediscovered in 2009 from the Peak Wilderness, Central Hills of Sri Lanka. This species was previously only known by the lost holotype which was described by Edward Frederick Kelaart in 1853. In 2013, a neotype was designated.

<i>Pseudophilautus</i> Genus of amphibians

Pseudophilautus is a genus of shrub frogs in the family Rhacophoridae endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India and to Sri Lanka where the majority of the species are found. Many of them are already extinct. On the other, some species believed to be extinct have also been rediscovered.

Pseudophilautus bambaradeniyai is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka. Scientists know it from the type locality: Sripada Peak, Peak Wilderness, between 700 and 1400 meters above sea level.

Pseudophilautus dayawansai is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka.

<i>Pseudophilautus jagathgunawardanai</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudophilautus jagathgunawardanai is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka.

Pseudophilautus karunarathnai is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka.

Pseudophilautus newtonjayawardanei is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka.

<i>Pseudophilautus puranappu</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudophilautus puranappu is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka. Scientists have know it from the type locality: Sripada Peak in the Peak Wilderness, between 1800 and 2100 meters above sea level.

Pseudophilautus samarakoon, the Samarakoon's shrub frog, is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka. Wickramasinghe et al. suggest that, following the IUCN Red List criteria, it should be considered "critically endangered" because the extent of occurrence is <100 km2, it is recorded from a single location, and its habitat is under severe threat.

Pseudophilautus sirilwijesundarai is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka. It is one of the 8 species of rhacophorids that were reported from Adam's Peak in 2013.

<i>Pseudophilautus dilmah</i> Species of amphibian

Pseudophilautus dilmah, the Dilmah shrub frog, is a species of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, endemic to Sri Lanka. The species was discovered and documented in 2015 by Sri Lankan prominent wildlife researcher and herpetologist Mendis Wickramasinghe and his crew from Loolkandura forest of Central highlands of Sri Lanka, 1324 meters above sea level. It is distinguished mainly from other shrub frogs by the absence of nuptial pads and anterior and posterior dorsum without horny spinules.

Rhinophis roshanpererai, the Roshan Perera's shieldtail or Roshan Perera's rhinophis, is a species of snake in the family Uropeltidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. The species was first described from three specimens taken from Badulla District. The species lack pale stripes and possess three to four prominent spines with a small shield-tail.

Cnemaspis rajakarunai, also known as Rajakaruna's day gecko, is a species of diurnal geckos endemic to island of Sri Lanka, from Lowland Rainforest near Salgala. The species can be identified due to absence of precloacal pores. Male is known to ranges from 36–40 mm in length from snout to vent.

Aspidura desilvai, commonly known as De Silva's rough-sided snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka.

Lycodon chithrasekarai, also known commonly as the Chithrasekara's bridal snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka.

References

  1. ↑ "L. J. Mendis Wickramasinghe". University of California, Berkeley.
  2. 1 2 "L.J. Mendis Wickramasinghe - Wikispecies". species.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  3. ↑ Meet the Dilmah Frog , retrieved 2020-05-04
  4. ↑ "Mendis Wickramasinghe | Institute of Multimedia Education" . Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  5. ↑ Options, B. T. (2015-08-31). "Repertoire: A pictorial gateway to Sri Lanka's nature". Explore Sri Lanka - Once discovered, you must explore...... Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  6. ↑ Yatawara, Dhaneshi. "Eight shrub frog species named after Sri Lankans". Sunday Observer . Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Sri Lanka". IUCN. 2015-10-20. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  8. ↑ "Resource Inventory of Wilpattu National Park". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  9. ↑ "Recognizing Deadly Venomous Snakes from Harmless Snakes of Sri Lanka". shop.dilmahtea.com. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  10. ↑ "Search". www.mapress.com. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  11. ↑ "Pseudophilautus stellatus", Wikipedia, 2020-01-18, retrieved 2020-05-04
  12. ↑ Ssc), IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (IUCN (2012-06-16). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Adenomus kandianus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  13. ↑ Wickramasinghe, L. J. Mendis; Vidanapathirana, Dulan Ranga; Airyarathne, Sameera; Rajeev, Gehan; Chanaka, Amila; Pastorini, Jennifer; Chathuranga, Gayan; Wickramasinghe, Nethu (2013-03-05). "Lost and found: One of the world's most elusive amphibians, Pseudophilautus stellatus (Kelaart 1853) rediscovered". Zootaxa. 3620 (1): 112–128. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3620.1.5. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   26120699.
  14. ↑ Wickramasinghe, L. J. Mendis; Vidanapathirana, Dulan Ranga; Wickramasinghe, Nethu (2012-06-15). "Back from the dead: The world's rarest toad Adenomus kandianus rediscovered in Sri Lanka". Zootaxa. 3347 (1): 63–68. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3347.1.3. ISSN   1175-5334.
  15. 1 2 Rodrigo, Malaka. "Repertoire: Animals in action and more". The Sunday Times . Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "Institute of Multimedia Education | Education for Communication" . Retrieved 2020-05-04.


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