Brachymeles mapalanggaon DAVIS, FELLER, BROWN & SILER, 2014
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Higher Taxa | Scincidae, Scincinae, Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
Subspecies | |
Common Names | E: Masbate Slender Skink |
Synonym | Brachymeles mapalanggaon DAVIS, FELLER, BROWN & SILER 2014 |
Distribution | Philippines (Masbate) Type locality: Masbate City, Masbate Province, Masbate Island, Philippines (12°21’1.08’’N, 123°37’41.628’’E; WGS-84). Paratypes.—Two adult males (CAS 144223, 144239) and two adult females (CAS 144236, 144237) collected in Tugbo Water- shed, Municipality of Mobo, Masbate Province, Masbate Island, Philippines. One adult female (CAS 144270) collected in Pulangkahoy, Maputo, Municipality of Mobo, Masbate Province, Masbate Island, Philippines. One adult female (CAS 144340) collected in Uwak, Mapuyo, Municipality of Mobo, Masbate Province, Masbate Island, Philippines. One adult male (MCZ 152082) collected at Makuya barrio area, Municipality of Mobo, Masbate Province, Masbate Island, Philippines. |
Reproduction | |
Types | Holotype: PNM 9792 (formerly KU 323937; CDS Field No. 5101), adult female, collected on 3 September 2009, by C. D. Siler and J. Fernandez. Paratopotypes.—One adult female (KU 323938) collected on 7 September 2009. |
Diagnosis | Diagnosis: Brachymeles mapalanggaon can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: 1) body size small (SVL 61.7–75.8 mm); 2) limbs digitless; 3) limb length short; 4) supralabials six; 5) infralabials five or six; 6) supraciliaries five; 7) supraoculars four; 8) midbody scale rows 22 or 23; 9) axilla–groin scale rows 80–84; 10) paravertebral scale rows 99–102; 11) pineal eye spot present or absent; 12) prefrontal contact absent; 13) frontoparietal contact present or absent; 14) enlarged chin shields in two or three pairs; 15) nuchals enlarged; 16) auricular opening absent; 17) presacral vertebrae 51; and 18) uniform body color (Tables 3, 4). Characters distinguishing Brachymeles mapalanggaon from other morphologically similar, nonpentadactyl, limbed species of Brachymeles are summarized in Tables 3 and 4. Additionally, with the exception of B. bonitae, B. mapalanggaon can be distinguished from all other nonpentadactyl species of Brachy- meles by having digitless limbs (Table 4). Brachymeles mapalang- gaon can be distinguished from B. bonitae by having 51 presacral vertebrae (vs. 53), 80–84 axilla–groin scale rows (vs. 83–90), and 99–102 paravertebral scale rows (vs. 103–110). Brachymeles mapalanggaon can be distinguished from all limbless species of Brachymeles by having limbs and from all pentadactyl species of Brachymeles by having digitless limbs. |
Comment | Habitat: under rotting logs in heavily disturbed habitat (1000–1230 h) |
Etymology | The name of the new species is derived from the Masbatenyo (dialect of Masbate Island) term ‘Pagkamapalanggâon,’ meaning loving kindness. C. D. Siler is pleased to name this new species in honor of family members Larry Merchant, Brook Siler, Matt Siler, and Joel Katz for their support and contributions to our Philippine biodiversity research program. |
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