Ru Somaweera

The third edition of my Sinhala language book ‘Snake of Sri Lanka’  will be launched in October 2026. This nearly 400-page edition is co-authored with devoted herpetologists Sanoj Wijayasekara and Sanjaya Bandara, with specialised chapters by Prof Anjana Silva (snake venom), Dr Kanishka Ukuwela (phylogenetic), Dr Thasun Amarasinghe (morphometrics) and Dr Thaveesha de Alwis (look-alike snakes), and a splendid cover by award-winning designer Kasun Benaragama.

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Features of the 3rd edition include:

• >50 page introductory section on the ecology, venom, history of exploration and conservation of Sri Lankan snakes;

• Detailed information on identification, ecology, distribution, venom and status of all 112 species of snakes known from the island to-date;

• Over 460 colour images covering all species, showing ontogenetic and geographical colour variations and close-ups of key features;

• Illustrated, easy-to-use keys for each and every multi-specious genera;

• Section on easy identification of look-alike species;

• Extensive reference list related to Sri Lankan snakes; and  

• many more …