Sri Lanka’s vanishing snakes: Scientists warn policy paralysis is driving a silent crisis

Sri Lanka may proudly call itself a global biodiversity hotspot, but in the world of reptiles especially snakes the country is sleepwalking into a conservation crisis.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

Boie's roughside snake (Aspidura brachyrrorhos) - endemic, threatened and nonvenomous snake

Behind the scientific accolades lies a sobering truth: our policy frameworks are outdated, enforcement is weak, research is underfunded, and environmental governance is collapsing just as fast as the habitats snakes depend on.

"We keep discovering new species, but we’re losing habitats far faster than we can study them. Policy simply has not kept pace with science," says herpetologist Suranjan Karunarathna, whose field teams continue to document the island's breathtaking snake diversity.

Sri Lanka shelters 112 snake species, 63 of which are endemic a level of uniqueness unmatched in South Asia. But scientists say the country's laws and regulatory structures protect these species only on paper.

Policy in Pieces: Habitat Loss Outruns Regulation

The Wildlife Conservation Ordinance is decades old and struggles to cover the complex realities of modern development, urban sprawl and climate change.

"Fragmentation is one of the biggest threats but environmental approvals are being given with minimal regard for microhabitats, altitudinal ranges, or ecological corridors," says Dr. Dushantha Kandambi, highlighting how even threatened and range-restricted species fall through bureaucratic cracks.

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) rarely examine the fine-scale habitat needs of snakes. Many species especially burrowing forms can vanish from a site without ever being counted.

"A single road or tea expansion can wipe out an entire endemic population, but current assessments don't reflect that."

The Enforcement Void

Even the rules that do exist suffer from chronic non-implementation.