brachymeles bonitae , commonly known as hikida 's short-legged skink or the stub-limbed burrowing skink , is a species of skink found in the philippines .

it was first described in 1839 by andré marie constant duméril and gabriel bibron .

it is endemic to the philippines .

brachymeles bonitae

evaluating the diversity of philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : . . .
additions to philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scinc . . .
maggie whitson marked
file : brachymeles bonitae ( ku 330100 ) from mid - elevation , mt . cagua - zookeys - 266 - 001 - g054 . jpg
as trusted on the
brachymeles bonitae
page .
sarah miller set
brachymeles boholensis
as an exemplar on
brachymeles gracilis fischer 1885
.
sarah miller set
brachymeles taylori
as an exemplar on
brachymeles boulengeri taylor 1922
.
additions to philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) iii : a new species from tablas island .
additions to philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) ii : a new species from the northern philippines .
additions to philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) iii : a new species from tablas island . - pubmed - ncbi
evaluating the diversity of philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) : redescription of b . tridactylus and descriptions of two new species
additions to philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) ii : a new species from the northern phili . . . - pubmed - ncbi
( pdf ) evaluating the diversity of philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) : redescription of b . tridactylus and descriptions of two new species
yan wong changed the thumbnail image of
file : brachymeles bonitae ( ku 330100 ) from mid - elevation , mt . cagua - zookeys - 266 - 001 - g054 . jpg
.
we review the species of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( b . bonitae and b . tridactylus ) and describe an additional two new species in this highly specialized , limb - reduced , endemic philippine clade of fossorial lizards . for more than 4 decades , b . bonitae has been recognized as a single ' ' widespread ' ' species , a perception that has persisted as a result of limited sampling and similar overall . . . [ show full abstract ]
population genetic structure and revised geographic range for the tridactyl skink ( brachymeles munti . . .
in this paper we examined characters measured or counted on external body surfaces , and analyzed molecular variation , for a subset of the brachymeles bonitae species complex ( b . bonitae and b . tridactylus ) . our analyses revealed new , undescribed diversity within this complex , and we describe two new species as well as redescribe b . tridactylus . we designate populations of b . bonitae from aurora province on luzon island as b . isangdaliri , and populations of b . bonitae from masbate island as b . mapalanggaon . what makes b . isangaliri special is that it represents the first unidactyl species of brachymeles , meaning this species has only a single small digit on its hands and feet . if that wasn’t enough , b . mapalanggaon is the first known limbed , but digitless species within this genus . such a neat complex of small , burrowing lizards !
. . . nov . increases the known species diversity of the genus in the philippines to 37 , and future examination of other allopatric populations of the b . bonitae complex may reveal additional diversity ( davis et al . 2014 ) . brachymeles ligtas sp . . . .
we describe a new digitless scincid lizard of the genus brachymeles from northern luzon and camiguin norte islands in the philippines . this species belongs to the brachymeles bonitae complex , and both molecular and morphological data confirm that this species is distinct from all other congeners . formerly considered to be a single widespread species , this group of species has been the focus of . . . [ show full abstract ]
we describe a new digitless scincid lizard of the genus brachymeles from northern luzon and camiguin norte islands in the philippines . this species belongs to the brachymeles bonitae complex , and both molecular and morphological data confirm that this species is distinct from all other congeners . formerly considered to be a single widespread species , this group of species has been the focus of recent systematic reviews . here we describe a new species in the b . bonitae complex , recognized currently to constitute five species . brachymeles ilocandia sp . nov . is the second digitless and the seventeenth non - pentadactyl species in genus . the description of this species brings the total number of species in the genus to 40 , and provides new insight into unique distribution patterns of species of the northern philippines .
taylor , e . h . ( 1917 ) brachymeles , a genus of philippine lizards . philippine journal of science , 12 , 267–279 .
taylor , e . h . ( 1917 ) brachymeles , a genus of philippine lizards . the philippine journal of science , 12 , 267–279 .
davis d . r . , feller , k . d . , brown , r . f . & siler , c . s . ( 2014 ) evaluating the diversity of philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) : redescription of b . tridactylus and descriptions of two new species . journal of herpetology , 48 , 480–494 .
davis , d . r . , k . d . feller , r . m . brown , and c . d . siler . 2014 . evaluating the diversity of philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) : redescription of b . tridactylus and descriptions of two new species . journal of herpetology 48 : 480 - 494 . pdf
davis , d . r . , feller , k . d . , brown , r . m . & siler , c . d . ( 2014 ) evaluating the diversity of philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) : redescription of b . tridactylus and descriptions of two new species . journal of herpetology , 48 , 480–494 . urltoken
. . . finally , brachymeles bonitae sensu stricto represents an instance of both cases : some individuals have digitless limbs while others have two fingers and one toe ( davis et al . 2014 ) . philippine species of brachymeles form a monophyletic clade , suggesting in situ diversification of the genus across the archipelago ( siler & brown 2011 ; siler et al . 2011a ) . hypotheses for the high levels of philippine diversity of plants and animals have focused on the influence of changing sea levels on species diversification ( brown et al . 2013 ) . . . .
a new species of slender skink is described from the philippines . the species is endemic to lubang island , and is assigned to the brachymeles bonitae complex based on phenotypic and genetic data . specimens were collected from lubang island between 1991 and 2012 , and were examined based on morphological data ( qualitative traits , meristic counts , and mensural measurements ) . published genetic . . . [ show full abstract ]
hikida , t . ( 1982 ) a new limbless brachymeles ( sauria : scincidae ) from mt . kinabalu , north borneo . copeia , 1982 , 840–844 .
davis , drew r . ; kathryn d . feller , rafe m . brown , and cameron d . siler 2014 . evaluating the diversity of philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) : redescription of b . tridactylus and descriptions of two new species . journal of herpetology dec 2014 , vol . 48 , no . 4 : 480 - 494 . - get paper here
hikida , t . ( 1982 ) a new limbless brachymeles ( sauria : scincidae ) from mt . kinabalu , north borneo . copeia , 1982 , 840–844 . urltoken
siler , c . d . , crombie , r . i . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2011c ) redescription of two poorly known slender skinks , brachymeles bicolor and brachymeles pathfinderi ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) , from the philippines . journal of herpetology , 45 , 355–369 .
brown , w . c . ( 1956 ) a revision of the genus brachymeles ( scincidae ) , with descriptions of new species and subspecies . breviora , 54 , 1–19 .
. . . however , only two genera include semifossorial taxa : brachymeles and lygosoma ( siler et al . 2012b ; davis et al . 2014 ) . whereas 39 of 41 species in brachymeles are endemic to the philippines ( davis et al . 2016 ) , this genus has never been recorded in the palawan paic . two species of lygosoma ( l . . . .
. . . ) , and they exhibit a diverse array of ecomorphologies . however , only two genera include semifossorial taxa : brachymeles and lygosoma ( siler et al . 2012b ; davis et al . 2014 ) . whereas 39 of 41 species in brachymeles are endemic to the philippines ( davis et al . 2016 ) , this genus has never been recorded in the palawan paic . . . .
davis , drew r . ; aaron d . geheber , jessa l . watters , michelle l . penrod , kathryn d . feller , alissa ashford , josh kouri , daniel nguyen , kathryn shauberger , kyra sheatsley , claire winfrey , rachel wong , marites b . sanguila , rafe m . brown & cameron d . sil 2016 . additions to philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) iii : a new species from tablas island . zootaxa 4132 ( 1 ) : 030–043 - get paper here
geheber , a . d . , davis , d . r . , watters , j . w . , penrod , m . l . , feller , k . d . , davey , c . s . , ellsworth , e . d . , flanagan , r . l . , heitz , b . d . , moore , t . , nguyen , m . d . c . , roberts , a . , sutton , j . , sanguila , m . b . , linkem , c . w . , brown , r . m . & siler , c . d . ( 2016 ) additions to the philippine slender skinks of the brachymeles bonitae complex ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae : brachymeles ) i : a new species from lubang island . zootaxa , 4132 ( 1 ) , 1–14 . urltoken
brown , w . c . & rabor , d . s . ( 1967 ) review of the genus brachymeles ( scincidae ) , with descriptions of new species and subspecies . proceedings of the california academy of sciences , 15 , 525–548 .
siler , c . d . ( 2010 ) squamata , scincidae , brachymeles elerae ( taylor , 1917 ) : rediscovery in old balbalan , cordillera mountain range , luzon island , philippines , and natural history . check list , 6 , 616–618 . urltoken
. . . lygosoma tabonorum is the first philippine endemic species within the genus . based on our current understanding of species - level diversity within the ecologically similar brachymeles in the philippines ( davis et al . 2014 ) , we anticipate the description of additional cryptic species among the members of the l . quadrupes species complex , with additional study of molecular and morphological analyses . although both brachymeles and lygosoma occur in the philippines , they are nearly allopatric in their distributions ( fig . 1 ) . . . .
siler , c . d . , jones , r . m . , welton , l . j . & brown , r . m . ( 2011d ) redescription of tetradactyl , philippine slender skinks ( genus brachymeles ) . herpetologica , 67 , 300–317 .
. . . we sampled 39 individuals , representing all but two of the 41 species of brachymeles currently recognized for our ingroup ( figure 1 ; supporting information table s1 ; davis et al . , 2016 ; siler et al . , 2016 ) . multilocus phylogenetic datasets were available for most species from previously published work for the coding region of the mitochon - drial gene nadh dehydrogenase subunit 1 ( nd1 ) , and three nuclear loci : brain - derived neurotrophic factor ( bdnf ) , rna fingerprint protein 35 ( r35 ) , and prostaglandin e receptor 4 ( ptger4 ) ( davis et al . , 2014 ; siler et al . , 2011asiler et al . , , 2011bsiler et al . , , 2012 ) . we collected near complete sequence datasets for all four loci for all remaining ingroup taxa ( supporting miriamae ; c is all philippine brachymeles species ; d represents the pentadactyl clade with its sister group of partially digit reduced b . elerae and b . mutingkamay ; e is the pentadactyl brachymeles clade ; f is the digit - reduced clade of brachymeles . . . .
siler , c . d . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2010a ) a new loam - swimming skink , genus brachymeles ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) from luzon and catanduanes islands , philippines . journal of herpetology , 44 , 49–60 .
siler , c . d . & brown , r . m . ( 2010 ) phylogeny - based species delimitation in philippine slender skinks ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae : brachymeles ) : taxonomic revision of pentadactyl species groups and description of three new species . herpetological monographs , 24 , 1–54 . urltoken
siler , c . d . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2010b ) a new loam - swimming skink , genus brachymeles ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) from luzon and catanduanes islands , philippines . journal of herpetology , 44 , 49–60 . urltoken
siler , c . d . , rico , e . l . , duya , m . r . & brown , r . m . ( 2009 ) a new limb - reduced , loam - swimming skink ( squamata : scincidae : brachymeles ) from central luzon island , philippines . herpetologica , 65 , 449–459 .
siler , c . d . , rico , e . l . , duya , m . r . & brown , r . m . ( 2009 ) a new limb - reduced , loam - swimming skink ( squamata : scincidae : brachymeles ) from central luzon island , philippines . herpetologica , 65 , 449–459 . urltoken
siler , c . d . , balete , d . s . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2010b ) a new legless loam - swimming lizard ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae : genus brachymeles ) from the bicol peninsula , luzon island , philippines . copeia , 2010 , 114–122 .
siler , c . d . , balete , d . s . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2010a ) a new legless loam - swimming lizard ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae : genus brachymeles ) from the bicol peninsula , luzon island , philippines . copeia , 2010 , 114–122 . urltoken
siler , c . d . , diesmos , a . c . , alcala , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2011a ) 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 , 53–65 .
siler , c . d . , diesmos , a . c . , alcala , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 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 , 53–65 . urltoken
. . . the majority of species of brachymeles are found exclusively in the philippines ; the two exceptions include b . miriamae heyer from thailand and b . apus hikida from borneo ( heyer 1972 ; hikida 1982 ) . though the morphology and evolutionary history of brachymeles are both well represented in the literature , the ecology of these species is not well known ( davis et al . 2014 ) . species prefer dry habitats and have been found in leaf litter , loose soil , or under decaying logs ( siler et al . 2009siler et al . , 2010asiler et al . , b , 2011asiler et al . , b , c , d , 2012a davis et al . 2014 ) . . . .
we use data from external morphology and mitochondrial gene sequences to provide the basis for a taxonomic revision of two polytypic , pentadactyl philippine species of scincid lizards of the genus brachymeles . although previous studies have noted significant morphological variation among island populations , the similarities in body size and scale pigmentation and pattern have led to the . . . [ show full abstract ]
species diversity in skinks in the genus brachymeles recently has undergone a state of flux , with numerous taxonomic discoveries over the past few years . newly available , robust data sets from morphological data and molecular sequences have revealed that taxonomic diversity within this unique group of lizards is substantially underestimated . in this third recent monographic revision of a major . . . [ show full abstract ]
. . . the island nation is home to a wide variety of endemic skinks ( family scincidae ) , including a unique radiation of semi - fossorial species in the genus brachymeles duméril & bibron . the genus brachymeles consists currently of 40 species ( davis et al . 2014 ; geheber et al . 2016 ; siler et al . 2016 ) , with all but two species occurring in the philippines ( b . apus hikida in borneo and b . miriamae heyer in thailand ; siler et al . 2009 siler et al . , 2010a siler et al . , b , 2011a siler et al . , b , c , d , 2012a siler et al . , 2016 siler 2010 ; davis et al . 2014 ; geheber et al . 2016 ) . . . .
previous work with skinks in the genus brachymeles has revealed a remarkable level of unknown diversity , leading to the descriptions of many new species . historically , many species were recognized to occur throughout multiple islands and distinct faunal regions . however , as sampling has increased , and comprehensive morphological and molecular examinations have occurred , these once wide ranging species are now recognized as complexes of multiple unique lineages .
siler , c . d . , fuiten , a . m . , jones , r . m . , alcala , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2011b ) phylogeny - based species delimitation in philippines slender skinks ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) ii : taxonomic revision of brachymeles samarensis and description of five new species . herpetological monographs , 25 , 76–112 .
siler , c . d . , jones , r . m . , diesmos , a . c . , diesmos , m . l . & brown , r . m . ( 2012a ) phylogeny - based species delimitation in philippine slender skinks ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) iii : taxonomic revision of the brachymeles gracilis complex and descriptions of three new species . herpetological monographs , 26 , 135–172 .
siler , c . d . , jones , r . m . , diesmos , a . c . , diesmos , m . l . & brown , r . m . ( 2012a ) phylogeny - based species delimitation in philippine slender skinks ( reptilia : squamata : scincidae ) iii : taxonomic revision of the brachymeles gracilis complex and descriptions of three new species . herpetological monographs , 26 , 135–172 . urltoken
with robust new datasets from morphology and dna sequences , we review the limbed , nonpentadactyl species of the brachymeles samarensis complex ( now known to include b . cebuensis , b . minimus , and b . lukbani ) , and describe five new species in this highly limb - reduced , endemic philippine clade of scincid lizards . for more than four decades , b . samarensis has been recognized as a single . . . [ show full abstract ]
the philippines is home to a remarkable number of species of amphibians and reptiles . this amazing diversity is often due to the complex geological history of this archipelago with islands cyclically being isolated and then reconnected , as sea levels would fluctuate . one group of reptiles with a remarkable amount of morphological and genetic diversity is the philippine slender skinks of the genus brachymeles . these lizards often inhabit leaf litter and soil substrates , and many exhibit some form of limb - or digit - reduction .
. . . all species are slender , elongate lizards possessing relatively homogeneous brown scale coloration . interestingly , the clade represents one of only a handful of scincid genera to possess a full spectrum of digit and limb states , from species with more robust , pentadactyl limbs to those with externally limbless bodies ( siler et al . 2011a siler et al . , 2012a davis et al . 2014 ) . of the 39 currently recognized species of brachymeles , 18 are pentadactyl ( b . . . .
. . . we anticipate that his work will be of interest to wildlife managers , students , biogeographers , conservationists , and cebu residents . most of the species we observed are common and widely distributed—with some rare exceptions , cebu endemics , and numerous taxa for which current classifications underestimate species diversity ( barley et al . , 2013 ; brown et al . , 2013b ; linkem et al . , 2011 ; siler et al . , 2011a ) . of special interest are two island endemics , brachymeles cebuensis , malayotyphlops hypogius . . . .
. . . despite the observed variance in body forms among recognized taxa , a suite of recent studies has revealed that a general convergence on gross overall morphological appearances within phylogenetically - identified subclades has led to broad underestimation of alpha diversity ( siler et al . 2009siler et al . , 2010a , b , 2011a , b , c , d , 2012a , 2016 ; siler 2010 ; davis et al . 2014 ; geheber et al . 2016 ) . recent molecular data has provided insight into the distribution of previously unrecognized diversity within the genus , leading to the recognition of several species complexes ( siler et al . 2011d ; davis et al . 2014 ) . one species complex in particular , the b . bonitae complex sensu davis et al . ( 2014 ) , was originally thought to be a single widely distributed species with variable morphology ( brown & rabor 1967 ) . . . .
. . . though the morphology and evolutionary history of brachymeles are both well represented in the literature , the ecology of these species is not well known ( davis et al . 2014 ) . species prefer dry habitats and have been found in leaf litter , loose soil , or under decaying logs ( siler et al . 2009siler et al . , 2010asiler et al . , b , 2011asiler et al . , b , c , d , 2012a davis et al . 2014 ) . most species are found in disturbed secondary growth lowland habitats ; however , several species ( b . . . .
. . . the genus brachymeles consists currently of 40 species ( davis et al . 2014 ; geheber et al . 2016 ; siler et al . 2016 ) , with all but two species occurring in the philippines ( b . apus hikida in borneo and b . miriamae heyer in thailand ; siler et al . 2009 siler et al . , 2010a siler et al . , b , 2011a siler et al . , b , c , d , 2012a siler et al . , 2016 siler 2010 ; davis et al . 2014 ; geheber et al . 2016 ) . species in this genus are known to be both secretive and semi - fossorial , with individuals often inhabiting decomposing organic matter ( i . e . , decaying coconut husks , rotting tree logs ) . . . .
. . . during pleistocene glacial cycles , decreases in the sea level led to the formation of philippine aggregate island complexes ( paics ; brown & guttman 2002 ; fig . 1a ) in which adjacent islands separated by shallow seas were connected by land bridges , allowing for faunal exchange and gene flow between islands within a single paic ( brown et al . , 2013 ) . although this process likely contributed to the development of distinct faunal regions within the philippines , studies suggest that species diversification patterns in brachymeles do not follow predicted paic - based diversification patterns , with evidence suggesting a number of overseas dispersal events may have also taken place during the radiation of this group throughout the archipelago ( siler et al . 2011a ) . furthermore , studies on radiations of other philippine reptiles ( linkem et al . 2010linkem et al . , 2011 siler et al . 2010c siler et al . , 2012b siler et al . , 2014 welton et al . 2013 welton et al . , 2014 ) have also partially or fully rejected paic formation and fragmentation events in the generation and maintenance of species diversity . . . .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 strict / / en
urltoken
thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
justification : listed as least concern in view of its wide distribution , presumed large population , it occurs in a number of protected areas , has a tolerance of a degree of habitat modification , and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category .
this species is endemic to the philippines , where it has been recorded from the islands of luzon , polillo , marinduque , mindoro , calotcot , tablas , sibuyan , lubang , camiguin norte and masbate ( brown and alcala 1980 ) . it ranges from close to sea level to about 800 m asl .
this species has been recorded from both primary and secondary tropical moist forest , and has also been within coconut groves and similar plantations . animals seem to be largely terrestrial and are found in leaf litter , under rotting logs , and amongst similar ground cover ( brown and alcala 1980 ) .
this species is found within numerous protected areas . no direct conservation measures are currently needed for this species as a whole .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .
to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
warning : the ncbi web site requires javascript to function . more . . .
siler cd 1 , davis dr 2 , freitas es 3 , huron na 4 , geheber ad 5 , watters jl 6 , penrod ml 7 , papeș m 8 , amrein a 9 , anwar a 10 , cooper d 10 , hein t 10 , manning a 10 , patel n 10 , pinaroc l 10 , diesmos ac 11 , diesmos ml 12 , oliveros ch 13 , brown rm 14 .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . sam noble oklahoma museum of natural history , university of oklahoma , 2401 chautauqua avenue , norman , ok 73072 , usa . ; email : camsiler @ ou . edu .
department of biology , university of south dakota , 414 east clark street , vermillion , sd 57069 , usa . ; email : drew . davis @ usd . edu .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . ; email : elysefreitas @ gmail . com .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . ; email : nahuron @ ou . edu .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa ; email : a . w . amrein @ gmail . com .
sam noble oklahoma museum of natural history , university of oklahoma , 2401 chautauqua avenue , norman , ok 73072 , usa . ; email : jwatters @ ou . edu .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa ; email : michelle . l . penrod - 1 @ ou . edu .
department of integrative biology , oklahoma state university , 501 life sciences west , stillwater , ok , 74074 usa . ; email : papes @ okstate . edu .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . ; email : annalisa . r . manning - 1 @ ou . edu .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . ; email : unknown .
herpetology section , zoology division , philippine national museum , rizal park , burgos street , manila , philippines . ; email : arvin . diesmos @ gmail . com .
university of santo tomas , espana boulevard , manila , philippines . ; email : maediesmos @ gmail . com .
department of biological sciences , louisiana state university , 220 life sciences building , baton rouge , la 70803 , usa . ; email : carloliveros @ gmail . com .
biodiversity institute and department of ecology and evolutionary biology , university of kansas , 1345 jayhawk boulevard , lawrence , ks 66045 , usa . ; email : rafe @ ku . edu .
davis dr 1 , geheber ad 2 , watters jl 3 , penrod ml 4 , feller kd 5 , ashford a 6 , kouri j 4 , nguyen d 4 , shauberger k 4 , sheatsley k 4 , winfrey c 4 , wong r 4 , sanguila mb 7 , brown rm 8 , siler cd 9 .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . ; email : aaron . d . geheber - 1 @ ou . edu .
school of biological sciences , university of bristol , tyndall avenue , bristol , bs8 1tq , uk . ; email : kate . feller @ gmail . com .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . ; email : aashford @ ou . edu .
father saturnino urios university , san francisco street , 8600 butuan city , philippines ; email : unknown .
department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . sam noble oklahoma museum of natural history , university of oklahoma , 2401 chautauqua avenue , norman , ok 73072 , usa . ; email : unknown .
cameron d . siler department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa . sam noble oklahoma museum of natural history , university of oklahoma , 2401 chautauqua avenue , norman , ok 73072 , usa .
drew r . davis department of biology , university of south dakota , 414 east clark street , vermillion , sd 57069 , usa .
elyse s . freitas department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
nicholas a . huron department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
jessa l . watters sam noble oklahoma museum of natural history , university of oklahoma , 2401 chautauqua avenue , norman , ok 73072 , usa .
monica papeș department of integrative biology , oklahoma state university , 501 life sciences west , stillwater , ok , 74074 usa .
andrew amrein department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
alyssa anwar department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
dontae cooper department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
tucker hein department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
annalisa manning department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
neeral patel department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
lauren pinaroc department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
arvin c . diesmos herpetology section , zoology division , philippine national museum , rizal park , burgos street , manila , philippines .
mae l . diesmos university of santo tomas , espana boulevard , manila , philippines .
carl h . oliveros department of biological sciences , louisiana state university , 220 life sciences building , baton rouge , la 70803 , usa .
rafe m . brown biodiversity institute and department of ecology and evolutionary biology , university of kansas , 1345 jayhawk boulevard , lawrence , ks 66045 , usa .
cameron d . siler , drew r . davis , elyse s . freitas , nicholas a . huron , aaron d . geheber , jessa l . watters , michelle l . penrod , monica papeș , andrew amrein , alyssa anwar , dontae cooper , tucker hein , annalisa manning , neeral patel , lauren pinaroc , arvin c . diesmos , mae l . diesmos , carl h . oliveros , rafe m . brown
barve , n . , barve , v . , jiménez - valverde , a . , lira - noriega , a . , maher , s . p . , peterson , a . t . , soberón , j . & villalobos , f . ( 2011 ) the crucial role of the accessible area in ecological niche modeling and species distribution modeling . ecological modeling , 222 , 1810–1819 .
brown , j . l . ( 2014 ) sdmtoolbox : a python‐based gis toolkit for landscape genetic , biogeographic and species distribution model analyses . methods in ecology and evolution , 5 , 694–700 .
brown , r . m . & diesmos , a . c . ( 2002 ) application of lineage - based species concepts to oceanic island frog populations : the effects of differing taxonomic philosophies on the estimation of philippine biodiversity . silliman journal , 42 , 133–162 .
brown , r . m . & diesmos , a . c . ( 2009 ) philippines , biology . in : gillespie , r . , clague , d . ( eds . ) , encyclopedia of islands . university of california press , berkeley , california , pp . 723–732 .
brown , r . m . & guttman , s . i . ( 2002 ) phylogenetic systematics of the rana signata complex of philippine and bornean stream frogs : reconsideration of huxley’s modification of wallace’s line at the oriental–australian faunal zone interface . biological journal of the linnean society , 76 , 393–461 .
brown , r . m . & siler , c . d . ( 2013 ) spotted stream frog diversification at the australasian faunal zone interface , mainland versus island comparisons , and a test of the philippine dual umbilici hypothesis . journal of biogeography , 41 , 182–195 .
brown , r . m . , diesmos , a . c . & alcala , a . c . ( 2002 ) the state of philippine herpetology and the challenges for the next decade . silliman journal , 42 , 18–87
brown , r . m . , siler , c . d . , diesmos , a . c . & alcala , a . c . ( 2009 ) the philippine frogs of the genus leptobrachium ( anura ; megophryidae ) : phylogeny - based species delimitation , taxonomic revision , and descriptions of three new species . herpetological monograph , 23 , 1–44 .
brown , r . m . , siler , c . d . , oliveros , c . h . , esselstyn , j . a . , diesmos , a . c . , hosner , p . a . , linkem , c . w . , barley , a . j . , oaks , j . r . , sanguila , m . b . , welton , l . j . , blackburn , d . s . , moyle , r . g . , peterson , a . t . & alcala , a . c . ( 2013 ) evolutionary processes of diversification in a model island archipelago . annual review of ecology , evolution , and systematics , 44 , 411–435 .
brown , w . c . & alcala , a . c . ( 1970 ) the zoogeography of the philippine islands , a fringing archipelago . proceedings of the california academy of sciences , 38 , 105–130 .
brown , w . c . & alcala , a . c . ( 1980 ) philippine lizards of the family scincidae . philippine university press , dumaguete city , 264 pp .
de queiroz , k . ( 1998 ) the general lineage concept of species , species criteria , and the process of speciation : a conceptual unification and terminological recommendations . in : howard , d . j . & berlocher , s . h . ( eds . ) , endless forms : species and speciation . oxford university press , new york , pp . 57–75 .
de queiroz , k . ( 1999 ) the general lineage concept of species and the defining properties of the species category . in : wilson , r . a . ( ed . ) , species : new interdisciplinary essays . massachusetts institute of technology press , cambridge , massachusetts , pp . 49–89 .
diesmos , a . c . , watters , j . l . , huron , n . a . , davis , d . r . , alcala , a . c . , crombie , r . i . , afuang , l . e . , gee - das , g . , sison , r . v . , sanguila , m . b . , penrod , m . l . , labonte , m . j . , davey , c . s . , leone , e . a . , diesmos , m . l . , sy , e . y . , welton , l . j . , brown , r . m . & siler , c . d . ( 2015 ) amphibians of the philippines , part i : checklist of the species . proceedings of the california academy of sciences , fourth series , 62 , 457–539 .
duméril , a . m . c . & bibron , g . ( 1839 ) erpétologie général ou , histoire naturelle compléte des reptiles . librairie encylopédique de roret , paris , france , pp . 488 .
esri ( 2013 ) arcgis desktop : release 10 . 2 . environmental systems research institute , redlands , ca .
frost , d . r . & hillis , d . m . ( 1990 ) species in concept and practice : herpetological applications . herpetologica , 46 , 87–104 .
heyer , w . r . ( 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 , 109–129 .
hijmans , r . j . ( 2012 ) cross - validation of species distribution models : removing spatial sorting bias and calibration with a null model . ecology , 93 , 679–688 .
hijmans , r . j . , cameron , s . e . , parra , j . l . , jones , p . g . & jarvis , a . ( 2005 ) very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas . international journal of climatology , 25 , 1965–1978 .
international union for conservation of natura ( iucn ) ( 2015 ) iucn red list of threatened species . version 2015 . 4 . available from : urltoken ( accessed 15 july 2015 )
köhler , g . ( 2012 ) color catalog for field biologists . herpeton , offenbach , germany , 49 pp .
linkem , c . w . , hesed , k . m . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2010 ) species boundaries and cryptic lineage diversity in a philippine forest skink complex ( reptilia ; squamata ; scincidae : lygosominae ) . molecular phylogenetics and evolution , 56 , 572–85 .
linkem , c . w . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2011 ) molecular systematics of the philippine forest skinks ( reptilia : scincidae : sphenomorphus ) : testing morphological and biogeographic hypotheses of interspecific relationships . zoological journal of the linnaean society , 163 , 1217–1243 .
pearson , r . g . , raxworthy , c . , nakamura , m . & peterson , a . t . ( 2007 ) predicting species ' distributions from small numbers of occurrence records : a test case using cryptic geckos in madagascar . journal of biogeography , 34 , 102–117 .
phillips , s . j . , anderson , r . p . & schapire , r . e . ( 2006 ) maximum entropy modeling of species geographic distributions . ecological modelling , 190 , 231–259 . urltoken
phillips , s . j . & dudík , m . ( 2008 ) modeling of species distributions with maxent : new extensions and a comprehensive evaluation . ecography , 31 , 161–175 . urltoken
sabaj pérez , m . h . ( ed . ) ( 2014 ) standard symbolic codes for institutional resource collections in herpetology and ichthyology : an online reference . version 5 . 0 . american society of ichthyologists and herpetologists , washington , d . c . available from : urltoken ( accessed 1 june 2015 )
siler , c . d . & brown , r . m . ( 2011 ) evidence for repeated acquisition and loss of complex body - form characters in an insular clade of southeast asian semi - fossorial skinks . evolution , 65 , 2641–2663 .
siler , c . d . , oaks , j . r . , esselstyn , j . a . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2010c ) phylogeny and biogeography of philippine bent - toed geckos ( gekkonidae : cyrtodactylus ) contradict a prevailing model of pleistocene diversification . molecular phylogenetics and evolution , 55 , 699–710 .
siler , c . d . , oaks , j . r . , welton , l . j . , linkem , c . w . , swab , j . c . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2012b ) did geckos ride the palawan raft to the philippines ? journal of biogeography , 39 , 1217–1234 .
siler , c . d . , oaks , j . r . , cobb , k . , ota , h . & brown , r . m . ( 2014 ) critically endangered island endemic or peripheral population of a widespread species ? conservation genetics of kikuchi ' s gecko and the global challenge of protecting peripheral oceanic island endemic vertebrates . diversity and distributions , 20 , 756–772 .
simpson , g . g . ( 1961 ) principles of animal taxonomy . columbia university press , new york , new york , 247 pp .
watters , j . l . & siler , c . d . ( 2016 ) involving undergraduates in research – herpetology , spring 2015 . available from : urltoken ( accessed 3 may 2016 ) .
welton , l . j . , siler , c . d . , oaks , j . r . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2013 ) multilocus phylogeny and bayesian estimates of species boundaries reveal hidden evolutionary relationships and cryptic diversity in southeast asian monitor lizards . molecular ecology , 22 , 3495–3510 .
welton , l . j . , wood , p . l . jr . , oaks , j . r . , siler , c . d . & brown , r . m . ( 2014 ) fossil - calibrated phylogeny and historical biogeography of southeast asian water monitors ( varanus salvator complex ) . molecular phylogenetics and evolution , 74 , 29–37 .
wiley , e . o . ( 1978 ) the evolutionary species concept reconsidered . systematic zoology , 21 , 17–26 .
aaron d . geheber department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
michelle l . penrod department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
kathryn d . feller school of biological sciences , university of bristol , bristol , bs8 1tq , uk .
conner s . davey department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
elyse d . ellsworth department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
rachel l . flanagan department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
brendan b . heitz department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
tana moore department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
marie d . c . nguyen department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
austyn roberts department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
john sutton department of biology , university of oklahoma , 730 van vleet oval , norman , ok 73019 , usa .
marites b . sanguila father saturnino urios university , san francisco st . , 8600 butuan city , philippines .
charles w . linkem department of biology , university of washington , seattle , wa 98195 , usa .
aaron d . geheber , drew r . davis , jessa l . watters , michelle l . penrod , kathryn d . feller , conner s . davey , elyse d . ellsworth , rachel l . flanagan , brendan b . heitz , tana moore , marie d . c . nguyen , austyn roberts , john sutton , marites b . sanguila , charles w . linkem , rafe m . brown , cameron d . siler
amarasinghe , a . a . t . , campbell , p . d . , hallermann , j . , sidik , i . , supriatna , j . & ineich , i . ( 2015 ) two new species of the genus cylindrophis wagler , 1828 ( squamata : cylindrophiidae ) from southeast asia . amphibian & reptile conservation , 9 , 34–51 . urltoken
bain , r . h . , lathrop , a . , murphy , r . w . , orlov , n . l . & cuc , h . t . ( 2003 ) cryptic species of a cascade frog from southeast asia : taxonomic revisions and descriptions of six new species . american museum novitates , 3417 , 1–60 . urltoken ; 2
barley , a . , white , j . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2013 ) the challenge of species delimitation at the extremes : diversification without morphological change in philippine sun skinks . evolution , 67 , 3556–3572 . urltoken
brown , r . m . & stuart , b . l . ( 2012 ) patterns of biodiversity discovery through time : an historical analysis of amphibian species discoveries in the southeast asian mainland and island archipelagos . in : gower , d . j . , johnson , k . g . , richardson , j . e . , rosen , b . r . , rüber , l . & williams , s . t . ( eds . ) , biotic evolution and environmental change in southeast asia . cambridge university press , new york , pp . 348–389 . urltoken
brown , r . m . , ferner , j . w . & ruedas , l . a . ( 1995 ) a new species of lygosomine lizard ( reptilia : lacertilia : scincidae ; sphenomorphus ) from mt . isarog , luzon island , philippines . proceedings of the biological society of washington , 108 , 18–28 . urltoken
brown , r . m . , diesmos , a . c . & alcala , a . ( 2008 ) philippine amphibian species biodiversity is increasing by leaps and bounds . in : stuart , s . n . , hoffmann , m . , chanson , j . s . , cox , n . a . , berridge , r . , ramani , p . & young , b . e . ( eds . ) , threatened amphibians of the world . lynx ediciones , barcelona , pp . 82–83 .
brown , r . m . , siler , c . d . , diesmos , a . c . & alcala , a . c . ( 2009 ) philippine frogs of the genus leptobrachium ( anura ; megophryidae ) : phylogeny - based species delimitation , taxonomic review , and descriptions of three new species . herpetological monographs , 23 , 1–44 . urltoken
brown , r . m . , siler , c . d . , oliveros , c . h . , esselstyn , j . a . , diesmos , a . c . , hosner , p . a . , linkem , c . w . , barley , a . j . , oaks , j . r . , sanguila , m . b . , welton , l . j . , blackburn , d . s . , moyle , r . g . , peterson , a . t . & alcala , a . c . ( 2013 ) evolutionary processes of diversification in a model island archipelago . annual review of ecology , evolution , and systematics , 44 , 411–435 . urltoken
brown , w . c . & alcala , a . c . ( 1980 ) philippine lizards of the family scincidae . philippine university press , dumaguete city , philippines , 264 pp .
brown , w . c . & rabor , d . s . ( 1967 ) review of the genus bracheymeles ( scincidae ) , with descriptions of new species and subspecies . proceedings of the california academy of sciences , series 4 , 15 , 525–548 . avaliable from : urltoken ( accessed 20 jun . 2016 )
heyer , w . r . ( 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 , 109–129 . urltoken
international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) ( 2015 ) iucn red list of threatened species . version 2015 . 4 . available from : urltoken ( accessed 15 july 2015 ) .
köhler , g . ( 2012 ) color catalog for field biologists . herpeton , offenbach , 49 pp .
linkem , c . w . & brown , r . m . ( 2013 ) systematic revision of the parvoscincus decipiens ( boulenger , 1894 ) complex of philippine forest skinks ( squamata : scincidae : lygosominae ) with descriptions of seven new species . zootaxa , 3700 ( 4 ) , 501–533 . urltoken
linkem , c . w . , hesed , k . m . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2010 ) species boundaries and cryptic lineage diversity in a philippine forest skink complex ( reptilia ; squamata ; scincidae : lygosominae ) . molecular phylogenetics and evolution , 56 , 572–585 .
linkem , c . w . , diesmos , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2011 ) molecular systematics of the philippine forest skinks ( reptilia : scincidae : sphenomorphus ) : testing morphological and biogeographic hypotheses of interspecific relationships . zoological journal of the linnaean society , 163 , 1217–1243 . urltoken
siler , c . d . & brown , r . m . ( 2011 ) evidence for repeated acquisition and loss of complex body - form characters in an insular clade of southeast asian semi - fossorial skinks . evolution , 65 , 2641–2663 . urltoken
siler , c . d . , swab , j . c . , oliveros , c . h . , diesmos , a . c . , averia , l . , alcala , a . c . & brown , r . m . ( 2012b ) amphibians and reptiles , romblon island group , central philippines : comprehensive herpetofaunal inventory . check list , 8 , 443–462 . urltoken
siler , c . d . , welton , l . j . , davis , d . r . , watters , j . l . , davey , c . s . , diesmos , a . c . , diesmos , m . l . & brown , r . m . ( 2014 ) taxonomic revision of the pseudogekko compresicorpus complex ( reptilia : squamata : gekkonidae ) , with descriptions of three new species . herpetological monographs , 28 , 110–139 . urltoken
watters , j . l . & siler , c . d . ( 2016 ) involving undergraduates in research – herpetology , spring 2015 . available from : urltoken ( accessed 3 may 2016 )
this site uses cookies to improve performance . if your browser does not accept cookies , you cannot view this site .
there are many reasons why a cookie could not be set correctly . below are the most common reasons :
you have cookies disabled in your browser . you need to reset your browser to accept cookies or to ask you if you want to accept cookies .
your browser asks you whether you want to accept cookies and you declined . to accept cookies from this site , use the back button and accept the cookie .
your browser does not support cookies . try a different browser if you suspect this .
the date on your computer is in the past . if your computer ' s clock shows a date before 1 jan 1970 , the browser will automatically forget the cookie . to fix this , set the correct time and date on your computer .
you have installed an application that monitors or blocks cookies from being set . you must disable the application while logging in or check with your system administrator .
this site uses cookies to improve performance by remembering that you are logged in when you go from page to page . to provide access without cookies would require the site to create a new session for every page you visit , which slows the system down to an unacceptable level .
this site stores nothing other than an automatically generated session id in the cookie ; no other information is captured .
in general , only the information that you provide , or the choices you make while visiting a web site , can be stored in a cookie . for example , the site cannot determine your email name unless you choose to type it . allowing a website to create a cookie does not give that or any other site access to the rest of your computer , and only the site that created the cookie can read it .
for full functionality of researchgate it is necessary to enable javascript . here are the instructions how to enable javascript in your web browser .
( siler et al . , 2012 ) . all but two of these species are endemic to the
brown , 2010 ; siler et al . , 2011b , 2012 ) . t
recently ( siler and brown , 2010 ; siler et al . , 2011b , 2012 ) .
reptiles . a growing body of literature ( welton et al . , 2010a , b ;
congener populations ( siler and brown , 2011 ; siler et al . , 2011a ) .
luzon island ( figs . 2 , 3 ) . almost 80 yr later , t
v3 . 2 . 1 ( ronquist and huelsenbeck , 2003 ) . the alignment was
criterion ( aic ) , as implemented in jmodeltest v2 . 1 . 4 ( guindon
and gascuel , 2003 ; darriba et al . , 2012 ) , was used to select the
in the central and northern philippines . sampling localities are indicated by numerical labels , and the hypothesized
, illustrated by the maximum clade credibility tree resulting from bayesian analyses . nodes supported by
( appendix 1 ) as well as fore - and hindlimb digit states and number of presacral vertebrae . numerical labels correspond to sampling localities
numbers indicating scales in the supraciliary series . illustrations by k . d . feller and c . d . siler
ield pairs with reference to the 1st , 2nd , and 3rd pairs ( when present ) . in cases of scale -
count variation within species , numbers of individuals showing speciﬁc counts are given in parentheses . male ,
scale rows ( vs . 65–70 ) , 90–98 paravertebral scale rows ( vs . 85–
( pnm 9792 ; formerly ku 323937 ; holotype ) in dorsal , lateral , and ventral views . taxonomically diagnostic head scales are labeled as follows : c , chin
supraocular . roman numerals indicate scales in the supraocular series , with arabic numbers indicating scales in the supraciliary series . illustrations by
separated by single medial scale ( fig . 4 ) . scales on limbs smaller
e ; wgs - 84 ) , by c . d . siler and j .
vertebrae ( vs . 53 ) , 80–84 axilla–groin scale rows ( vs . 83–90 ) , and
others , fourth and ﬁfth subocular ; infralabials ﬁve ( fig . 4 ) .
single medial scale , left third chin shield reduced in size ( fig . 4 ) .
on the following criteria : vu b2ab ( iii , iv ) ; d2 ( iucn , 2013 ) .
and one on mindoro ( siler et al . , 2011b , 2012 ) .
( siler et al . , 2011a ) , evolution of morphological novelty ( siler
nity structure ( siler et al . , unpubl . data ) . we note that at most
ical phenomena ( losos et al . , 1998 ; mahler et al . , 2013 ) . the role
studies ; we are particularly grateful to t . m . lim , c . custodio ,
agtag , and j . l . de leon for their logistical support of this
c . d . siler , and nsf deb 0743491 and ef - 0334952 to r . m .
brown . for the loans of specimens we thank d . blackburn , j .
vindum , and a . leviton ( california academy of sciences ) , j .
barnes and a . c . diesmos ( philippine national museum ) , j .
oris ( field museum of natural history ) , r . crombie and k .
material . both c . d . siler and r . m . brown extend a special
thanks to a . alcala , a . diesmos , and m . diesmos for their
berlocher ( eds . ) , endless forms : species and speciation , pp . 57–75 .
netic analyses : lost in the land of long trees . systematic biology 59 :
, mt . isarog : paratypes ( cas - su 24173 , 24413 ) .
24487 ) ; se slope mt . halcon , tarogin barrio : paratypes ( cas - su 24549–
southern slope of mt . canlaon : ( cas - su 19424 , 19426–27 , 19429 , 19452 ,
( cas 60724 ) , paratypes ( cas 60723 , 60725 , mcz 26577 ) .
catarman town : paratypes ( cas - su 28199 , 28314 , 28329 , 28331 , 28358–59 ) .