"Because names of national heroes are forgotten ... names of geckos were used"

"Because names of national heroes are forgotten ... names of geckos were used" 

Names of national heroes such as Gotaimbara, Nandimithra, Kohukumbure Rate Rala, Bootewe Rate Rala and Hitihami being indigenous to Sri Lanka ad newly found geckos being given those names has resulted in talks these days. It is the idea of critics regarding this topic that ideas of prejudice emerge against the ego of national heroes. However, what wild life department say is that this was done to honour the heroes. 

Opinions were expressed in this connection in parliament and it was mentioned that national heroes

were subjected to humiliation. With regard to this difference of opinion, what environmentalist Sameera Suranjan Karunaratna said is: "It is 200 years since Uva - Wellassa rebellion. What I wanted was to make those heroes eternal and thereby honour them and also to advance that name on a scientific level. That is why I gave those names. If an animal is named by somebody's name, that person is bestowed with knighthood or some similar honour. Because of this naming process some people would have understood that there national heroes in our country by known by these names".

On the outcome of a survey conducted under a permit of wild life department in the year 2018, these 6 types of geckos were identified separately. The said survey was carried out in Kudumbigala, Maragala Kanda situated in Moneragala, Kokagala Kanda of Padiyatalawa, area around Kadugannawa tunnel, Bambarakotuwa forest and around Keerthi Bandarapura in Walapane. 

The biological name of this particular species of geckos is Cnemaspis and they have been named from names of heroes who carved a name for themselves for Sri Lanka. As such, these animals were named as Cnemaspis gotaimbarai sp.Nov for giant Gotaimbara, Cnemaspis nandimithrai sp.Nov for gant Nandimithra, Cnemaspis Kohukumburai sp.Nov for Kohukumbure Rate Rala who was a hero in the Uva - Wellassa battle, Cnemaspis butewe sp.Nov for Bootewe Rate Rala, Cnemaspis kivulegedarai sp.Nov for Kivulegedera Mohottala and Cnemaspis hitihami sp.Nov for Hitihami Rate Rala.