Anslem de Silva has written or contributed to 400 or so publications on various aspects of the herpetology of the country. He is the thrice recipient of the President's Award for Scientific Publications and has organized several national and international herpetological conferences. His honorary doctorate was awarded in recognition of his scientific contributions to and promotion of all aspects of the herpetology of Sri Lanka. Kanishka Ukuwela is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at the Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. He holds a BSc honours degree in Zoology from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and a PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Adelaide, Australia. Kanishka has published many research papers on the reptiles and amphibians of Sri Lanka. He is also a member of the IUCN amphibian and sea snake specialist groups.