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.Heyer (1972). In 2011 Siler et al. included the genus Davewakeum in the genus Brachymeles, creating the new combination, Brachymeles miriamae .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. In 2015 Chan-ard et al. returned the species to the genus Davewakeum. In 2022 Cota et al. reassigned the species to the genus Brachymeles. (Brachymeles miriamae, pp. 43–44).
Etymology The specific name, miriamae, is in honor of Miriam Heyer, who collected the holotype, and is married to American herpetologist W. Ronald Heyer.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Genus Davewakeum, pp. 66, 278–279; species D. miriamae, p. 179).
The generic name, Davewakeum, is in honor of American herpetologist David B. Wake.
Geographic range Miriam's skink is found in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand.
Habitat The preferred natural habitat of Brachymeles miriamae is forest.
Behavior Brachymeles miriamae is terrestrial and fossorial.
Description Miriam's skink is limbless.
Reproduction Brachymeles miriamae is viviparous.
References
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. . 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).