A. A. Thasun Amarasinghe, MRes.
I'm an Indonesian herpetologist interested in systematics, biogeography, ecology and conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians in South and Southeast Asia.
Rabdion grovesi is an endemic and unique snake discovered from the central highlands of Sulawesi Island.
Cnemaspis rajabasa is an endemic and large day-gecko discovered from a volcanic mountain on the southern tip of Sumatra Island.
Calotes pethiyagodai is an endemic agamid lizard discovered from the Knuckles montane forest in Sri Lanka.
The Indonesian herpetologist, A. A. Thasun Amarasinghe was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka on November 22nd, 1984. During his childhood he developed a passion for biology, with a special interest in reptiles and amphibians. This led him into a formal study of the ecology, morphology and systematic herpetology. Thasun completed his undergraduate study (BSc) in Natural Sciences at several universities in Sri Lanka, USA, and studied for his master's (MRes) degree in Biology and doctorate (PhD) at Universitas Indonesia. Thasun is a Research Fellow in the Research Center for Biosystematics and Evolution (and Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense) at the National Research & Innovation Agency – Government of Indonesia. He is also a Research Scientist in the Research Center for Climate Change at the University of Indonesia, and currently undertakes research on the systematics, island biogeography, ecology, evolution, and conservation of South and Southeast Asian herpetofauna.
Selected Publications
Biakzuala L, HT Lalremsanga, V Santra, A Dhara, MT Ahmed, ZB Mallick, S Kuttalam, AAT Amarasinghe & A Malhotra (2023). Molecular phylogeny reveals distinct evolutionary lineages of the banded krait, Bungarus fasciatus (Squamata, Elapidae) in Asia. Nature Scientific Reports 13: 2061.
Amarasinghe AAT, S Karunarathna, PD Campbell, AKA Gayan, WDB Ranasinghe, A de Silva & ZA Mirza (2022). The hidden diversity and inland radiation of Sri Lanka’s ground-dwelling geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Systematics & Biodiversity 20 (1): 1–25.
Amarasinghe AAT, CA Putra, SM Henkanaththegedara, AA Dwiyahrenia, NL Winarni, Sunaryo, C Margules & J Supriatna (2021). Herpetofaunal diversity of West Bali National Park, Indonesia with identification of indicator species for long-term monitoring. Global Ecology & Conservation 28: e01638.
Amarasinghe AAT, SR Ganesh, ZA Mirza, PD Campbell, OSG Pauwels, S Schweiger, A Kupfer, H Patel, S Karunarathna, K Deuti, I Ineich, J Hallermann, A Abinawanto & J Supriatna (2021). The delusion of stripes: A century-old mystery of five-lined sun skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae: Eutropis) of Peninsular India elucidated. Zoologischer Anzeiger 296: 71–90
Amarasinghe AAT, P Thammachoti, PD Campbell, J Hallermann, SM Henkanaththegedara, DMSS Karunarathna, A Riyanto, EN Smith & I Ineich (2018). Systematic composition of the Eutropis multifasciata (Kuhl, 1820) species complex (Squamata: Scincidae) and designation of a neotype. Herpetologica 74 (4): 342–354.
Karunarathna S, AAT Amarasinghe, S Henkanaththegedara, T Surasinghe, M Madawala, D Gabadage & M Botejue (2017). Distribution, habitat associations and conservation implications of Sri Lankan freshwater terrapins outside the protected area network. Aquatic Conservation: Marine & Freshwater Ecosystems 27 (6): 1301-1312.
Iskandar DT, JA McGuire & AAT Amarasinghe (2017). Description of Five New Day Geckos of Cnemaspis kandiana Group (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Sumatra and Mentawai Archipelago, Indonesia. Journal of Herpetology 51 (1): 142–153.
Selected Publications
Biakzuala L, HT Lalremsanga, V Santra, A Dhara, MT Ahmed, ZB Mallick, S Kuttalam, AAT Amarasinghe & A Malhotra (2023). Molecular phylogeny reveals distinct evolutionary lineages of the banded krait, Bungarus fasciatus (Squamata, Elapidae) in Asia. Nature Scientific Reports 13: 2061.
Amarasinghe AAT, S Karunarathna, PD Campbell, AKA Gayan, WDB Ranasinghe, A de Silva & ZA Mirza (2022). The hidden diversity and inland radiation of Sri Lanka’s ground-dwelling geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae). Systematics & Biodiversity 20 (1): 1–25.
Amarasinghe AAT, CA Putra, SM Henkanaththegedara, AA Dwiyahrenia, NL Winarni, Sunaryo, C Margules & J Supriatna (2021). Herpetofaunal diversity of West Bali National Park, Indonesia with identification of indicator species for long-term monitoring. Global Ecology & Conservation 28: e01638.
Amarasinghe AAT, SR Ganesh, ZA Mirza, PD Campbell, OSG Pauwels, S Schweiger, A Kupfer, H Patel, S Karunarathna, K Deuti, I Ineich, J Hallermann, A Abinawanto & J Supriatna (2021). The delusion of stripes: A century-old mystery of five-lined sun skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae: Eutropis) of Peninsular India elucidated. Zoologischer Anzeiger 296: 71–90
Amarasinghe AAT, P Thammachoti, PD Campbell, J Hallermann, SM Henkanaththegedara, DMSS Karunarathna, A Riyanto, EN Smith & I Ineich (2018). Systematic composition of the Eutropis multifasciata (Kuhl, 1820) species complex (Squamata: Scincidae) and designation of a neotype. Herpetologica 74 (4): 342–354.
Karunarathna S, AAT Amarasinghe, S Henkanaththegedara, T Surasinghe, M Madawala, D Gabadage & M Botejue (2017). Distribution, habitat associations and conservation implications of Sri Lankan freshwater terrapins outside the protected area network. Aquatic Conservation: Marine & Freshwater Ecosystems 27 (6): 1301-1312.
Iskandar DT, JA McGuire & AAT Amarasinghe (2017). Description of Five New Day Geckos of Cnemaspis kandiana Group (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Sumatra and Mentawai Archipelago, Indonesia. Journal of Herpetology 51 (1): 142–153.
