The place got its name from a pond that had dark water at ancient times.
Archeological remains
The site was initially settled in the 2nd century BC. The remains in the site include inscriptions, residences and a monastery.
Kaludiya Pokuna is also rich with numerous biodiversity, both flora and fauna. The forest is home for many endemic and non-endemic species of flora and fauna, that prevail much more secure than other forests in Sri Lanka.
Site is surrounded by farmland and human settlements from the north, east, and west but is undisturbed by humans and the primates are not provisioned. There is no evidence to indicate that hunting, timber extraction, or woodcutting have occurred at the site.
Forest is composed of many endemic and highly valuable trees and shrubs. The majority of flora are in the family Euphorbiaceae. Plants like Hydnocarpus venenata, Mischodon zeylanicus, Lepisanthes senegalensis, Grewia rothii, Ficus microcarpa, Mussaenda frondosa, Drypetes sepiaria, Mallotus eriocarpus, Manilkara hexandra, Dimocarpus longan, and Tetrameles nudiflora are abundant. Plants of family Ebenaceae, such as Diospyros ebenum, Diospyros malabarica, Diospyros oocarpa, and Diospyros ovalifolia, which has large timber value, are enormous without any human conflict.
Kaludiya Pokuna is rich with its populations of primate species mainly, where many researches on primates based on this site, especially on tufted gray langur and purple-faced langur. Besides them, forest is also home for the other primates in Sri Lanka, such as toque macaque and red slender loris and other herbivorous mammals, such as Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), spotted deer (Axis axis), sambar (Rusa unicolor), and wild boar (Sus scrofa). The area is also home to a full complement of potential predators such as black eagles (Ictinaetus malaiensis), crested serpent eagles (Spilornis cheela), brahminy kites (Haliastur indus), white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster), leopards (Panthera pardus), fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) and Indian rock pythons (Python molurus).
Endemic snakes such as Sri Lanka flying snake, Boiga barnesii, Dendrelaphis bifrenalis, Dendrelaphis oliveri, Oligodon sublineatus are frequently seen. Venomous snakes like Indian cobra, Russell's viper and Hypnale hypnale. Numerous types of skinks and lizards are also found.
The avian diversity is much more high than all other faunal categories at Kaludiya Pokuna. It is about 120 species of birds paradise. Most common birds are Indian cormorant, Oriental darter, Indian pond heron, cattle egret, black-headed ibis and common peafowl.
Endemic birds like Sri Lanka spurfowl, Sri Lanka junglefowl, Sri Lanka grey hornbill, brown-capped babbler, Sri Lanka green pigeon, crimson-fronted barbet, greater flameback, greater racket-tailed drongo, black-capped bulbul can be seen without disturbances. It means out of 33 endemic species, 80% of endemic birds are found in Kaludiya Pokuna.
Both types of monitor lizards - Bengal monitor and water monitor, can be seen in Kaludiya Pokuna.
Butterflies and moths are also frequent in Kaludiya Pokuna. Species like crimson rose, common Mormon, Ceylon rose, common rose, common cerulean, common Indian crow, Lemon emigrant are common.
The following list provide the fauna of Kaludiya Pokuna Archeological Forest Reserve.
Spot-billed pelican Pelecanus philippensis
Little cormorant Microcarbo niger
Indian cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis
Greater cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Indian darter Anhinga melanogaster
Little egret Egretta garzetta
Great egret Ardea alba
Gray heron Ardea cinerea
Purple heron Ardea purpurea
Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis
Indian pond heron Ardeola grayii
Intermediate egret Mesophoyx intermedia
Eurasian openbill Anastomus oscitans
Lesser adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus
Black-headed ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
Eurasian spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Lesser whistling duck Dendrocygna javanica
White-breasted waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus
Purple coot Porphyrio porphyrio
Pheassant-tailed jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus
Yellow-wattled lapwing Vanellus indicus
Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybrida
Strok-billed kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis
White-throated kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Jerdon's baza Aviceda jerdoni
Oriental honey buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus
Brahminy kite Haliastur indus
White-bellied sea eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Gray-headed fishing eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus
Crested serpent eagle Spilornis cheela
Shikra Accipiter badius
Black eagle Ictinaetus malaiensis
Changeable hawk eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus
Shaheen falcon Falco peregrinus peregrinator
Blue-breasted quail Coturnix chinensis
Sri Lanka spur fowl Galloperdix bicalcarata - endemic
Sri Lanka jungle fowl Gallus lafayetii - endemic
Indian peafowl Pavo cristatus
Emerald dove Chalcophaps indica
Sri Lanka green pigeon Treron pompadora
Green imperial pigeon Ducula aenea
Spotted dove Spilopelia chinensis
Alexandrine parakeet Psittacula eupatria
Rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri
Blue-faced malkoha Phaenicophaeus viridirostris
Asian koel Eudynamys scolopaceus
Greater coucal Centropus sinensis
Oriental scops owl Otus sunia
Collared scops owl Otus bakkamoena
Forest eagle owl Bubo nipalensis
Jerdon's nightjar Caprimulgus atripennis
Indian swiflet Aerodramus unicolor
Asian palm swift Cypsiurus balasiensis
Little swift Apus affinis
Little green bee-eater Merops orientalis
Blue-tailed bee-eater Merops philippinus
Chestnut-headed bee-eater Merops leschenaulti
Indian roller Coracias benghalensis
Malabar pied hornbill Anthracoceros coronatus
Sri Lanka gray hornbill Ocyceros gingalensis - endemic
Brown-headed barbet Megalaima zeylanica
Crimson-fronted barbet Megalaima rubricapillus - endemic
Coppersmith barbet Megalaima haemacephala
Golden-backed woodpecker Dinopium benghalense
Greater flameback Chrysocolaptes stricklandi - endemic
Indian pitta Pitta brachyura
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
Red-rumped swallow Hirundo hyperythra - endemic
Paddyfield pipit Anthus rufulus
Flame minivet Pericrocotus flammeus
Sri Lanka woodshrike Tephrodornis affinis - endemic
Indian paradise flycatcher Terpsiphone paradisi
Black-naped monarch Hypothymis azurea
White-browed fantail Rhipidura aureola
Black-capped bulbul Pycnonotus melanicterus - endemic
Red-venter bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
White-browed bulbul Pycnonotus luteolus
Black bulbul Hypsipetes ganeesa
Common iora Aegithina tiphia
Golden-fronted leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons
Jerdon's leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni
Asian brown flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris
Kashmir flycatcher Ficedula subrubra
Tickell's blue flycatcher Cyornis tickelliae
Oriental magpie robin Copsychus saularis
White-rumped shama Copsychus malabaricus
Black-backed robin Saxicoloides fulicatus
Brown-capped babbler Pellorneum fuscocapillus
Yellow-billed babbler Turdoides affinis
Gray-breasted prinia Prinia hodgsonii
Ashy prinia Prinia socialis
Large prinia Prinia sylvatica
Common tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius
Pale-billed flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrorhynchos
Purple-rumped sunbird Leptocoma zeylonica
Purple sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus
Oriental white-eye Zosterops palpebrosus
White-rumped munia Lonchura striata
Scaly-breasted munia Lonchura punctulata
Common mynah Acridotheres tristis
Indian golden oriole Oriolus kundoo
Black-hooded oriole Oriolus xanthornus
Black drongo Dicrurus macrocercus
Racket-tailed drongo Dicrurus paradiseus
Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos
Indian rock python Python molurus
Green vine snake Ahaetulla nasuta
Brown vine snake Ahaetulla pulverulenta
Common rough-sided snake Aspidura trachyprocta
Barnes' cat snake Boiga barnesii
Sri Lanka cat snake Boiga ceylonensis
Forsten's cat snake Boiga forsteni
Common cat snake Boiga trigonata
Sri Lanka flying snake Chrysopelea taprobanica - endemic
Common bronzeback tree snake Dendrelaphis tristis
Green keelback snake Macropisthodon plumbicolor
Banded kukri Oligodon arnensis
Common rat snake Ptyas mucosa
Black-headed snake Sibynophis subpunctatus
Checkered keelback water snake Xenochrophis piscator
Indian cobra Naja naja
Brahminy blind snake Ramphotyphlops braminus
Jan's blind snake Typhlops mirus
Phillips' shieldtail Uropeltis phillipsi
Russell's viper Daboia russelii
Hump-nosed viper Hypnale hypnale
Sri Lanka green pit viper Trimeresurus trigonocephalus
Common green forest lizard Calotes calotes
Painted-lipped lizard Calotes ceylonensis
Whistling lizard Calotes liolepis
Oriental garden lizard Calotes versicolor
Lowland kangaroo lizard Otocryptis nigristigma
Fan-throated lizard Sitana ponticeriana
Small day gecko Cnemaspis podihuna
Blotched ground gecko Geckoella yakhuna
Kandian gecko Hemidactylus depressus
Bark gecko Hemidactylus leschenaultii
Haly's tree skink Dasia haliana
Common supple skink Lankascincus fallax
Common skink Eutropis carinata
Rock skink Eutropis macularia
Spotted skink Eutropis madaraszi
Sarasin's snake skink Nessia sarasinorum
Land monitor Varanus benghalensis
Water monitor Varanus salvator
Mugger Crocodylus palustris
Black turtle Melanochelys trijuga
Star tortoise Geochelone elegans
Asian elephant Elephas maximus
Gray slender loris Loris lydekkerianus - ssp.nordicus
Tufted gray langur Semnopithecus priam - ssp.thersites
Purple-faced leaf monkey Trachypithecus vetulus - ssp.philbricki
Toque macaque Macaca sinica - ssp.sinica
Grizzled giant squirrel Ratufa macroura - ssp.dandolena
Indian palm squirrel Funambulus palmarum
Indian gerbil Tatera indica
Lesser bandicoot rat Bandicota bengalensis
Indian field mouse Mus booduga
Black rat Rattus rattus
Indian porcupine Hystrix indica
Black-naped hare Lepus nigricollis
Pygmy shrew Suncus etruscus
Fulvous fruit bat Rousettus leschenaultii
Indian flying fox Pteropus giganteus
Fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus
Jungle cat Felis chaus
Golden jackal Canis aureus
Common palm civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus
Golden palm civet Paradoxurus zeylonensis
Small Indian civet Viverricula indica
Indian gray mongoose Herpestes edwardsii
Ruddy mongoose Herpestes smithii
Eurasian otter Lutra lutra
Wild boar Sus scrofa
Indian muntjac Muntiacus muntjak
Spotted deer Axis axis
Sambar Rusa unicolor
