| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Graceful Short-legged Skink |
| Synonym | Eumeces (Riopa) gracilis FISCHER 1885: 85
Brachymeles gracilis — BOETTGER 1886: 103
Brachymeles gracilis — TAYLOR 1917: 270
Brachymeles gracilis — TAYLOR 1922
Brachymeles gracilis gracilis — BROWN & RABOR 1967: 536
Brachymeles gracilis — BROWN & ALCALA 1980: 36
Brachymeles gracilis — SILER et al. 2009 |
| Distribution | Philippines (Mindanao)
Type locality: Mindanao Island.
hilong: Philippines (NE Mindanao); Type locality: Diuata Mountains in the extreme northeastern part of Mindanao Island
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| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: MTD; probably not extant (BROWN & RABOR 1967) |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Brachymeles gracilis can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) body size medium (SVL 58.6–83.4 mm); (2) limbs pentadactyl; (3) limb length moderate; (4) relative tail length long; (5) Finger-III lamellae four or five; (6) Toe-IV lamellae seven or eight; (7) supralabials six; (8) infralabials six or seven; (9) supraciliaries six; (10) supraoculars five; (11) midbody scale rows 24–27; (12) axilla–groin scale rows 46–49; (13) paravertebral scale rows 67–70; (14) supranasals separate; (15) parietals in contact; (16) postnasal/supranasal fusion present or absent; (17) enlarged chin shields in two pairs; (18) nuchal scales undifferentiated; (19) fourth and fifth supralabial below eye; (20) auricular opening present; and (21) presacral vertebrae 34 (Tables 3, 4 in SILER et al. 2012). |
| Comment | Synonymy: after SILER et al. 2012. Brachymeles suluensis TAYLOR 1918 has been removed from the synonymy of B. gracilis by SILER et al. 2012.
Limb morphology: Pentadactyl species.
Subspecies: all former subspecies (including hilong, mindorensis, boholensis, taylori) have been elevated to full species.
Distribution: see map in SILER et al. 2012.
Habitat: semifossorial and typically found in dry, rotting material inside or underneath decaying logs or in loose soil, forest floor detritus, and leaf litter of lowland forest. |
| Etymology | Named after Latin “gracilis”, meaning small or lanky, or gracile. |
| References |
- Alcala, Angel C.;Reyes, Alfredo Y. 1957. Notes on the habitat of the scincoid lizard, Brachymeles gracilis taylori Brown. Copeia 1957 (2): 144 - get paper here
- Andrade, Julia B.; Ryshonda P. Lewis and Phil Senter 2016. Appendicular skeletons of five Asian skink species of the genera Brachymeles and Ophiomorus, including species with vestigial appendicular structures. Amphibia-Reptilia, DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00003062 - get paper here
- Brown WC & RABOR DS 1967. Review of the genus Brachymeles (Sauria), with descriptions of new species and subspecies. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (4) 34: 525-548 - get paper here
- Brown, Walter C. 1956. A revision of the genus Brachymeles (Scincidae), with descriptions of new species and subspecies. Breviora (54): 1-19 - get paper here
- Brown, WC. & A.C. ALCALA 1980. Philippine Lizards of the family Scincidae. Silliman Univ. Nat. Sci., Dumaguete City, Mon., Ser. 2: i-xi + 1-246.
- Fischer, J. G. 1885. Ichthyologische und herpetologische Bemerkungen. V. Herpetologische Bemerkungen. Jahrb. Hamburg. Wiss. Anst. 2: 82-121 - get paper here
- Siler, Cameron D.; Arvin C. Diesmos, Rafe M. Brown 2010. New Loam-Swimming Skink, Genus Brachymeles (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from Luzon and Catanduanes Islands, Philippines. Journal of Herpetology 44 (1): 49–60 - get paper here
- Siler, Cameron D.; Arvin C. Diesmos, Angel C. Alcala and Rafe M. Brown 2011. Phylogeny of Philippine slender skinks (Scincidae: Brachymeles) reveals underestimated species diversity, complex biogeographical relationships, and cryptic patterns of lineage diversification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 59 (1): 53-65 - get paper here
- Siler, Cameron D.; Edmond L. Rico, Mariano R. Duya, and Rafe M. Brown 2009. A NEW LIMB-REDUCED, LOAM-SWIMMING SKINK (SQUAMATA: SCINCIDAE: BRACHYMELES) FROM CENTRAL LUZON ISLAND, PHILIPPINES. Herpetologica 65 (4): 449 - get paper here
- Siler, Cameron D.; Robin M. Jones, Arvin C. Diesmos, Mae L. Diesmos, and Rafe M. Brown 2012. Phylogeny-Based Species Delimitation In Philippine Slender Skinks (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) III: Taxonomic Revision of the Brachymeles Gracilis Complex, With Descriptions of Three New Species. Herpetological Monographs 26 (1): 135-172. - get paper here
- Stokely, Paul Scott 1947. Limblessness and correlated changes in the girdles of a comparative morphological series of lizards. American Midland Naturalist 38 (3): 725-754 - get paper here
- Taylor, E.H. 1922. The lizards of the Philippine Islands. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Bureau of Science, Government of the Philippine Islands, Manila, Publication no. 17: 269 pp. - get paper here
- Taylor,E.H. 1917. Brachymeles, a genus of Philippine lizards. Philippine Journal of Science 12: 267-279 - get paper here
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