Introduction

112 species of amphibians are recognized from Sri Lanka. These 112 species are represented in two main orders: Anura and Gymnophiona. The order Gymnophiona includes three species of limbless amphibians belonging to the family Icthyophiidae and the genus Ichthyophis. All three species in this family are endemic to Sri Lanka. The order Anura includes the well known frogs and toads which is represented by the six families: Bufonidae, Dicroglossidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae, Rhacophoridae and Nyctibatrachidae. The family Bufonidae which includes the terrestrial toads is represented by six species consisting of the two genera Adenomus and Duttaphrynus. Dicroglossidae family consists of 14 species of frogs that belongs to five genera. The family Microhylidae which includes the “Narrow mouthed frogs” is represented by ten species that belong to two genera. The family Nyctibatrachidae is represented by two species in the genus Lankanectus in Sri Lanka. Other members of the family Nyctibatrachidae are found only India indicating the zoogeographic affinities with the Indian fauna. The family Ranidae in Sri Lanka is represented by 3 species which belongs to two genera. The Sri Lankan Rhacophoridae which includes the tree frogs, consists of 75 species in three genera: Polypedates, Pseudophilautus and Taruga.