Loris
In Sinharaja, as in any rain forest, the presence of larger mammals is indicated in the form of droppings, tracks, calls etc. The terrain and structure of the forest ,however, make visual sightings comparatively difficult.
The Purple-faced Leaf Monkey is perhaps the most observable of the mammals. These monkeys move in groups of 10 to14, high up in the forest canopy and their territorial calls echo for miles around the forest. The Toque Monkey is rare inside the forest but is more commonly observed in the peripheral areas.
Several large mammals are characteristically terrestrial and feed off the forest floor. This group includes herbivorous browsers and mixed feeders, such as the Wild pig, the Sambhur,the Mouse Deer and the Barking Deer. Although Elephants were common in the periphery of the forest before the logging project, the have not been sighted in the western sector since 1974. However ,a small group has been reported in the remnant grassland patches of the Handapan-Ella and Thangamalai plains which are contiguous with the north-eastern part of the forest.
The major carnivore of the forest is the Leopard. Leopards are seldom sighted but their presence is frequently confirmed by traks and other signs. Genuinely rare are the Rusty-Spotted Cat,whileJackals have been occasionally seen in the periphery of the forest.
Of the nocturnal species, are the civets and the mongooses. Among these are the rare and beautiful Golden PalmCivet,an endemic species, and the Striped necked Mongoose. The sighting of the latter in 1982 was particularly important as it was the first record of this species in the wet zone.
The small mammals recorded in Sinharaja are mainly rats, shrews and squirrels. Several significant sightings have been made in this group. The bicoloured Rat and the Spiny Rat, both endemic genera, were found here, as were the endemic species of shrews, the Long -tailed Shrew and the Horse field's the Shrew. The bi-colourd Rat and Long -tailed Shrew have been recorded earlier only at elevations of 1000 meters and above. The records of Sinharaja at 300 to 500 meters show that they have a considerably wider distribution than thought earlier. The Hours field's Shrew too had earlier been recorded only in the astern range in the central hills, hence the sightings at Sinharaja mark the first record of its occurrence in the wet lowlands.
Three species of squirrels are common in the forest, the Flame-striped Jungle Squirrel, the Dusky-striped Jungle Squirrel and the Western Giant Squirrel. The latter is an arboreal species; so is the Flying Squirrel seen at dusk. And other mammals recorded in the forest are the Porcupine and the Pangolin.
Bats are a characteristic group of mammals in the Asian tropics. Six species have been recorded in Sinharaja, all of which are insectivorous species. It is interesting that the familiar Flying Fox or Fruit Bat has not been recorded in the forest. The only frugivorous species observed, the Short-nosed Fruit Bat has been sighted at Kudawa,on the outskirts of the forest.
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