A Colored Atlas of Some Vertebrates from Ceylon (Vol. I–III) is a foundational three-volume zoological atlas documenting the vertebrate fauna of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), authored by P. E. P. Deraniyagala, one of the country’s leading 20th-century natural historians. The series combines scientific rigor with exceptionally detailed colour plates, many based on direct observation of living or freshly collected specimens, making it both a scholarly reference and a visual record of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity.
 
Published as First Editions between 1952 and 1955, with a later reprint of Volume III in 1987, the work remains one of the most important early comprehensive attempts to systematically catalogue the island’s vertebrates.
 
Volume I (1952) focuses on fishes, primarily freshwater species with selected marine representatives. It provides concise taxonomic descriptions, local and scientific names, distribution notes, and diagnostic illustrations supported by schematic figures and field-based observations.
 
Volume II (1953 covers tetrapod reptiles, including turtles, crocodiles, and lizards. It expands beyond classification into broader discussions on zoogeography, evolution, and distribution patterns, reflecting mid-century advances in comparative herpetology and biogeographic thinking.
 
Volume III (1987 Reprint Edition) completes the series with an authoritative treatment of snakes of Ceylon, synthesizing museum specimens, prior literature, and the author’s own fieldwork. It consolidates known species records while presenting identification keys, morphological detail, and comparative notes within a regional and historical framework.
 
Across the three volumes, the atlas is distinguished by:
Extensive colour plates drawn largely by the author
Early systematic documentation of Sri Lanka’s endemic vertebrate fauna
Integration of museum collections from Ceylon, India, Europe, and the United States
Detailed identification keys and morphological terminology
Early zoogeographical and evolutionary interpretations of island fauna
 
Beyond its scientific utility, the series is also a significant historical archive of Sri Lanka’s natural heritage, capturing species distributions and ecological observations from the early to mid-20th century. It remains a key reference for zoologists, herpetologists, ichthyologists, and collectors of classic natural history literature.