 Despite its relatively moderate size, Sri Lanka possesses a high level of biodiversity due to the prevailing varied climatic and topographic conditions. A remarkable feature of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity is the high proportion of endemic species among its flora and fauna. For instance, 23% of the 3,368 flowering plants and 16% of the island’s 91 mammals are endemic. But then 18 species of mayfly are 100% endemic!
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The inland water supports a rich invertebrate fauna. There are some 140 species of rotifera (microscopic aquatic animals), 60 species of decapods (prawns and crabs), and 31 species of freshwater molluscs (12 endemic). The marine invertebrate fauna are even more diverse, with Sri Lanka having over 180 species of coral belonging to 68 genera and over 200 species of crab.
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| Flora | | | | Group | Number of described species | Percent endemic | | Algae | 866 | - | | Fungi | 1,920 | - | | Lichens | 110 | 35 | | Mosses | 575 | - | | Liverwoths | 190 | - | | Ferns & fern allies | 314 | 18 | | Gymnosperms | 1 | - | | Angiosperms (flowering plants) | 3,350 | 23 | |
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Fauna | | | | Group | Number of described species | Percent endemic | | Protista (single-celled animals) | 40+ | - | | Rotifera (microscopic aquatic animals) | 140+ | - | | Anthozoa (corals) | 171 | - | | Annelida (earthworms & leeches) | 18 | - | | Monogenea (flatworms) | 23 + | - | | Crustacea (prawns, crabs & allies) | 400 | - | | Mollusca (snails & allies) | 325 | - | | Mayflies | 18 | 100 | | Mosquitoes | 139 | - | | Beetles | 540 | 23 | | Butterflies | 242 + | 6 | | Arachnida (spiders) | 400 + | - | | Pisces – coastal fish | 400 + | - | | Pisces – freshwater fish | 61 | 39 | | Amphibia (frogs, toads & salamanders) | 106 | 52 | | Reptilia (reptiles) | 171 | 43 | | Aves (birds, including migrants) | 441 | 5 | | Mammalia (mammals) | 91 | 16 | |
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