Brachymeles vermis TAYLOR, 1918
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Brachymeles vermis
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| Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Taylor's Shor t-legged Skink |
| Synonym | Brachymeles vermis TAYLOR 1918: 255 Brachymeles vermis — TAYLOR 1922 Brachymeles vermis — DAAN & HILLENIUS 1966 Brachymeles vermis — BROWN & ALCALA 1980: 29 Brachymeles vermis — SILER et al. 2009 |
| Distribution | Philippines (Jolo) Type locality: Bubuan Island, Sulu Archipelago |
| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: lost (originally BSP 1980 = Bureau of Sciences, Philippine Islands) probably destroyed fide BROWN & RABOR 1967 |
| Diagnosis | Description: Brown & Alcala 1980: 29 Original description (type): “Rostral about as high as wide, bending back over point of snout, visible above by more than half its height; frontonasal broader than deep, broadly in contact with the rostral, narrowly with the frontal; prefrontal wider than long, narrowly separated, touching two frenals, first superciliary, and first supra-ocular; frontal slightly longer than wide, in contact with two supra-oculars and the interparietal; the latter longer than broad, inclosed by the parietals, with a prominent eyespot, larger than frontoparietals; latter separated, touching two supra-oculars; a pair of nuchals present; parietals more than three times as long as wide; five supra-oculars, first largest, second widest, last three touching the parietal; nostril pierced between the large supranasal and first labial (if a nasal scale is present it is apparently indistinguishable); two frenals, first nearly twice as large as the second; one large preocular; only two anterior superciliaries distinguishable; six upper labials, first very large, third and fourth below the eye; a scale partially inserted between the fourth and fifth labials; mental large, extending back to the vertical of near suture between first and second upper labials; four lower labials; postmental smaller than mental, touching one labial; three pairs of chin-shields, none in contact, second pair broadest, first two separated by a single scale, third pair by three scales; temporals slightly enlarged, two touching parietal; twenty-two scale rows around body, all smooth; preanals slightly enlarged. No limbs present; a slight depression laterally on either side of the anus with two or three elongate scales. No auricular opening; scales on anterior part of snout thickened. Color in life. Above light brown, each scale with a darker brown spot, making broken longitudinal lines; belly the same, slightly lighter. (Taylor 1918) Variation. Specimens were obtained in four localities: Bitinan, 3 specimens; Lapac, 4; Bubuan (south island), 3; and Papahag, 4. All show variations. Bitinan specimens have twenty-four rows of scales, and two have the nuchals much elongated and only one temporal touching the parietal; Lapac specimens have twenty-six scale rows; one specimen has the parietal broken on one side; Bubuan specimens, including the type, twenty-two scale rows; Papahag specimens all have the parietal broken in two parts. The first pair is small, about the size of the prefrontals; the second posterior pair elongate, forming the normal suture; they have twenty-two to twenty-four scale rows about the body. (Taylor 1918) |
| Comment | Limb morphology: Limbless species. 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 | The specific epithet is derived from the Latin vermis (worm). |
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