Lying 25km east of the city of Kandy, the Knuckles mountain range exists as a unique ecosystem separate from the rest of the central hills. True to its name this mountain range consists of five peaks and resembles the knuckles on a persons folded fist. Covering a distance of about 12 miles Knuckles extends roughly from the northwest to the southwest of Sri Lanka. The elevation of these peaks range from about 1500m to 1800m in height. The Knuckles Range is home to a wide variety of forest types in close proximity to each other making it exceptional. These forests in turn harbor wildlife including leopard, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, wild boar, giant squirrel, purple-faced langur, toque macaque and loris as well as the otherwise rarely seen otter. Over 120 bird species recorded here include many endemic ones including the yellow-fronted barbet, dusky-blue flycatcher, ceylon lorikeet, ceylon grackle, yellow-eared bulbul and Layard’s parakeet. In addition endemic amphibians and reptiles include the kirtisinghe’s rock frog and leaf-nosed lizard, which are only found here.

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