Lizards
Georgia has 56 reptiles and 12 amphibians — the 2026 checklist
The paper divides species recorded in Georgia into confirmed and candidate taxa — this is not a list of new discoveries.
Read the articleThe Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica) is not venomous and has yellow spots. In Georgia, it has been found in the western part of the Lesser Caucasus and around Borjomi and Tashiskari. It is known from Bakhmaro, the Borjomi Gorge, Tashiskari, Mtirala and Kintrishi. It lives near shaded mountain streams in beech, conifer and mixed forests. It is not dangerous to people. Georgia’s 2026 species list includes it as a confirmed species. It is the only true salamander on that list — the newt is not a salamander.
Identification
How to identify Caucasian Salamander
This slender, dark salamander has yellow or orange spots and a long, round tail. These features distinguish it from newts found in Georgia.
Its body is elongated and slender. Its back is black, dark brown or brownish orange. It has oval yellow spots on its back and sides, often in two uneven rows. Its belly is brownish. Along its sides, 11–12 grooves are visible between the ribs.
The tail is usually longer than the head and body combined. It is round, rather than flattened from side to side like the tail of a spawning newt. It can detach its tail, which then grows back. Its total length is usually about 13–19 cm, with a body about 6–8 cm long.
The male has a horn-like point on the upper side at the base of his tail. During the breeding season, rough pads develop on his front legs. The female has no such point. Males and females are similar in size, though males in Borjomi are slightly larger on average.
When laying eggs, Georgia’s newts (the Caucasian common newt, striped newt and Karelin’s crested newt) have tails flattened from side to side, and males develop a crest along their backs. At this time, they are more often found in pools or lakes. The salamander is found by streams; it has yellow spots and a rounded tail.
Around Mtirala and Batumi, some animals are lighter in color and have fewer spots. This form is called M. c. djanaschvilii, but they are still considered members of the same species when observed in the wild.
Gallery
Caucasian Salamander in photos
Look for it beside a narrow, shaded mountain stream, not in a large river or an open pool. Such streams are usually 1–1.5 m wide and about 20–30 cm deep in spring. The banks have a thick layer of fallen leaves, along with moss, stones and logs. Adults hide under stones, logs or roots. Near Borjomi, they have also been found 200–300 m from a stream. In Georgia, it has been found in Adjara, Guria, the Borjomi–Meskheti area and around Tashiskari. Recorded places include Bakhmaro (Bakhvistskali), the Borjomi Gorge, Akhaldaba, Tashiskari, Mtirala and Kintrishi. The place given for its original description is near Zekari Pass. The edge of its range runs roughly by Batumi–Kintrishi and Borjomi–Nedzura, then by Abastumani–Goderdzi. These scattered locations do not mean it occurs continuously throughout the regions listed. It lives in the forest zone and in the mountain belt above it. It avoids places altered by people.
Distribution
Where Caucasian salamander is documented in Georgia
19 field records2012–20264 regions
Interactive map is loading.
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Source-confirmed distribution region
The 2026 checklist names sites in Adjara, Guria, Samtskhe–Javakheti and Shida Kartli. These named localities, not observation counts, support the confirmed regions. iNaturalist lists M. djanaschvilii separately, so these records cover only iNaturalist's M. caucasica taxon. Public coordinates are obscured by roughly 27 km; plotted points and their region counts are approximate and may cross borders. Counts reflect observations, not population density or a range across each whole region.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
Biology
Diet, behavior, and conservation
Diet
Adults hunt mainly on land for woodlice, spiders, beetles and other animals without backbones that live in soil and along banks. Their larvae, or young in an early stage of development, eat animals without backbones that live in streams, including crustaceans (Gammaridae) and insect larvae.
Behavior
It is mostly active at night, hides during the day and is rarely seen. In the Borjomi Gorge at middle elevations, adults are first seen in early May and last seen in September. This period may differ around Batumi and in the high mountains. It lays eggs in late spring and summer. Mating takes place on land or in water. The female attaches eggs one by one in shaded shelters; she sometimes also lays them in damp places away from the stream. In the Borjomi Gorge, a female lays an average of about 17 eggs. The young that hatch from the eggs remain in the stream. In a study in Borjomi, it took about two years to develop from an egg to the stage when the young change form. If you see one, leave it where it is and do not pick it up. Wash your hands after touching it.
Conservation
The 2009 global assessment found the species to be at risk of extinction. The total area it occupies is less than 2,000 km². The places where it lives are broken up into separate areas, and their condition is getting worse. In Georgia, the main threats are forest clearing, using streams to move timber, and damage caused by livestock. Cutting trees along streams reduces shade, warms the water, and damages the salamander’s shelters. Based on the global assessment, the species is also listed as at risk of extinction on Georgia’s Red List. Protected areas where it occurs include Borjomi–Kharagauli National Park and Kintrishi. Do not pick it up or move it elsewhere — it is also caught to be kept as a pet.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Caucasian Salamander.
Yes. The 2026 list confirms its presence in Georgia. It is known to occur in the western part of the Lesser Caucasus and around Borjomi–Tashiskari. This does not mean it occurs throughout the country.
The species is found near shaded mountain streams in Adjara, Guria, the Borjomi Valley and on the northern slopes of Meskheti. Such places include Bakhmaro, Tashiskari, Akhaldaba, Mtirala and Kintrishi. Adjara, Guria, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Shida Kartli are marked on the map based on documented records. This does not mean the species is found throughout these regions.
Its bite is not venomous. Do not pick it up; wash your hands after touching it.
The salamander has a dark body with yellow spots and a long, rounded tail. During breeding, the newt has a flattened tail, and the male has a ridge along its back. Newts are found more often in pools and lakes than along the banks of narrow streams.
Its total length is usually about 13–19 cm. Its body is about 6–8 cm long, and its tail is longer than its body.
Yes — this species is found only in the western Lesser Caucasus, in Georgia and northeastern Turkey. In Georgia, it has been recorded in the western Lesser Caucasus and the Borjomi–Tashiskari area.
Observe it and leave it where it is. Do not pick it up or move it from the stream. If you touch it, wash your hands.
Neither this atlas nor the 2026 list treats M. djanashvilii as a separate species. The light-colored animals from Mtirala are genetically no different from members of the same species living elsewhere. In Borjomi–Meskheti, there is a distinct genetic group (M. sp. 1), but these animals can still be identified in the wild by the same features.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Tarkhnishvili & Gokhelashvili 1999 — The amphibians of the Caucasus
- Tarkhnishvili, Thorpe & Arntzen 2000 — Pre-Pleistocene refugia and differentiation between populations of the Caucasian salamander
- Tarkhnishvili & Serbinova 1993 — The ecology of the Caucasian salamander in a local population
- Tarkhnishvili & Kaya — Status and Conservation of the Caucasian Salamander
- საქართველოს მთავრობის დადგენილება №190 (2014) — საქართველოს წითელი ნუსხა
- CDC — After you touch amphibians or reptiles, wash your hands
- AmphibiaWeb — Mertensiella caucasica
- Kaya et al. 2009 — IUCN Red List account for Mertensiella caucasica
- IUCN Red List — Mertensiella caucasica
- Frost — Amphibian Species of the World (Mertensiella caucasica)
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
News