Miriam's skink

Miriam's skink (Brachymeles miriamae) is a species of lizard in the subfamily Scincinae of the family Scincidae (skinks). The species is endemic to Thailand.

Taxonomy

In 1972 Heyer described Miriam's skink as a new species in a new genus, giving it the scientific name Davewakeum miriamae.<ref name=Heyer1972>Heyer (1972).</ref> In 2011 Siler et al. included the genus Davewakeum in the genus Brachymeles, creating the new combination, Brachymeles miriamae Template:Small.<ref>Siler CD, Diesmos AC, Alcala AC, Brown RM (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.</ref> In 2015 Chan-ard et al. returned the species to the genus Davewakeum.<ref name=RDB/> In 2022 Cota et al. reassigned the species to the genus Brachymeles.<ref>Template:Cite journal (Brachymeles miriamae, pp. 43–44).</ref>

Etymology

The specific name, miriamae, is in honor of Miriam Heyer, who collected the holotype, and is married to American herpetologist W. Ronald Heyer.<ref name=EDR>Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. Template:ISBN. (Genus Davewakeum, pp. 66, 278–279; species D. miriamae, p. 179).</ref>

The generic name, Davewakeum, is in honor of American herpetologist David B. Wake.<ref name=EDR/>

Geographic range

Miriam's skink is found in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand.<ref name=RDB/>

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Brachymeles miriamae is forest.<ref name=iucn/>

Behavior

Brachymeles miriamae is terrestrial and fossorial.<ref name=iucn/>

Description

Miriam's skink is limbless.<ref name=Heyer1972/>

Reproduction

Brachymeles miriamae is viviparous.<ref name=RDB/>

Further reading

• Chan-ard, Tanya; Parr, John W. K.; Nabhitabhata, Jarujin (2015). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of Thailand. New York: Oxford University Press. 352 pp. Template:ISBN.
• Heyer WR (1972). "A New Limbless Skink (Reptilia: Scincidae) from Thailand With Comments on the Generic Status of the Limbless Skinks of Southeast Asia". Fieldiana Zoology 58 (10): 109–129. (Davewakeum, new genus, p. 124, Figures 4–5; D. miriamae, new species, pp. 124–128, Figure 7).

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