Brachymeles

Brachymeles is a genus of skinks (lizards in the family Scincidae). Majority of the species within the genus are endemic to certain island ecosystems in the Philippines. In 2018, the Zoological Society of London through its EDGE of Existence Program listed the Cebu small worm skink (Brachymeles cebuensis) as the 80th most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered reptile species in the world, making it the most endangered member of the genus Brachymeles.

Brachymeles
Brachymeles muntingkamay
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Subfamily: Scincinae
Genus: Brachymeles
A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839
Species

See text.

Taxonomy

Brachymeles is usually placed in the subfamily Scincinae, which seems to be paraphyletic however. Apparently part of a clade which does not seem to include the type genus Scincus, it will probably be eventually assigned to a new, yet-to-be-named subfamily (Austin & Arnold 2006).

Species

The following species are accepted at The Reptile Database:[1]

  • Brachymeles apus Hikida, 1982
  • Brachymeles bicolandia Siler et al., 2011
  • Brachymeles bicolor (Gray, 1845)
  • Brachymeles boholensis W.C. Brown & Rabor, 1967
  • Brachymeles bonitae A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1839
  • Brachymeles boulengeri Taylor, 1922
  • Brachymeles brevidactylus Siler et al., 2011
  • Brachymeles cebuensis W.C. Brown & Rabor, 1967 - listed as an EDGE species by the Zoological Society of London[2]
  • Brachymeles cobos Siler et al., 2011
  • Brachymeles dalawangdaliri Davis et al., 2016
  • Brachymeles elerae Taylor, 1917
  • Brachymeles gracilis (Fischer, 1885)
  • Brachymeles hilong W.C. Brown & Rabor, 1967
  • Brachymeles ilocandia Siler et al., 2016
  • Brachymeles isangdaliri Davis et al., 2014
  • Brachymeles kadwa Siler & R.M. Brown, 2010
  • Brachymeles libayani Siler et al., 2011
  • Brachymeles ligtas Geheber et al., 2016
  • Brachymeles lukbani Siler et al., 2010
  • Brachymeles makusog Siler et al., 2010
  • Brachymeles mapalanggaon Davis et al., 2014
  • Brachymeles mindorensis W.C. Brown & Rabor, 1967
  • Brachymeles minimus W.C. Brown & E.L. Alcala, 1995
  • Brachymeles miriamae (Heyer, 1972)
  • Brachymeles muntingkamay Siler et al., 2009
  • Brachymeles orientalis W.C. Brown & Rabor, 1967
  • Brachymeles paeforum Siler et al., 2011
  • Brachymeles pathfinderi Taylor, 1925
  • Brachymeles samad Siler et al., 2012
  • Brachymeles samarensis W.C. Brown, 1956
  • Brachymeles schadenbergi (Fischer, 1885)
  • Brachymeles suluensis Taylor, 1918
  • Brachymeles talinis W.C. Brown, 1956
  • Brachymeles taylori W.C. Brown, 1956
  • Brachymeles tiboliorum Siler et al., 2012
  • Brachymeles tridactylus W.C. Brown, 1956
  • Brachymeles tungaoi Siler & R.M. Brown, 2010
  • Brachymeles vermis Taylor, 1918
  • Brachymeles vindumi Siler & R.M. Brown, 2010
  • Brachymeles vulcani Siler et al., 2012
  • Brachymeles wrighti Taylor, 1925

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Brachymeles.

References
  1. "Brachymeles ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/cebu-small-worm-skink/

Further reading
  • Austin JJ, Arnold EN (2006). "Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered Leiolopisma skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 39 (2): 503–511. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.12.011 (HTML abstract).
  • Boulenger GA (1887). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume III. ... Scincidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 575 pp. + Plates I-XL. (Genus Brachymeles, p. 386).
  • Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1839). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome cinquième [Volume 5]. Paris: Roret. viii + 854 pp. (Brachymeles, new genus, p. 776). (in French).


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