Knuckles Mountain Range

Knuckles conservation forest
Location of the conservation forest
Location	Central Province, Sri Lanka
Nearest city	Matale
Coordinates	7°27′N 80°48′E / 7.450°N 80.800°E / 7.450; 80.800Coordinates: 7°27′N 80°48′E / 7.450°N 80.800°E / 7.450; 80.800
Governing body	Department of Forest Conservation
World Heritage Site	2010 (within the site Central Highlands of Sri Lanka)[1]

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Knuckles Conservation Forest
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type	Natural
Criteria	ix, x
Reference	1203
UNESCO region	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	2010 (34th Session)

The Knuckles Mountain Range lies in central Sri Lanka, in the Districts of Matale and Kandy. The range takes its name from a series of recumbent folds and peaks in the west of the massif which resemble the knuckles of clenched fist when viewed from certain locations in the Kandy District. Whilst this name was assigned by early British surveyors, the Sinhalese residents have traditionally referred to the area as Dumbara Kanduvetiya meaning mist-laden mountain range (Cooray, 1984). The entire area is characterised by its striking landscapes often robed in thick layers of cloud but in addition to its aesthetic value the range is of great scientific interest. It is a climatic microcosm of the rest of Sri Lanka. The conditions of all the climatic zones in the country are exhibited in the massif. At higher elevations there is a series of isolated cloud forests, harbouring a variety of flora and fauna, some of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Although the range constitutes approximately 0.03% of the island’s total area it is home to a significantly higher proportion of the country’s biodiversity.

Further reading

• Goonewardene, S., J. Drake, and A. De Silva. 2006. The Herpetofauna of the Knuckles Range. Project Knuckles 2004 and 2005: University of Edinburgh Research Expedition. Amphibia and Reptile Research Organisation of Sri Lanka (ARROS).
• Cooray, P.G.,1984. An introduction to the geology of Sri Lanka. Department of Geology. Government printing Press, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Knuckles Mountain Range.

External links

• Trekking, Camping, Bird Watching, Safari in Knuckles Range
• Knuckles Range information and conservation website
• Project Knuckles research expedition website
• Attractions & Trails of Knuckles South - Deanston, Corbett’s Gap & Traditional Villages
• මතු පරපුර ගැන සිතා රකිමු !දුම්බර වනපෙත

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