Lizards
Uzzell’s lizard confirmed in Armenia for the first time
Four parthenogenetic Darevskia uzzelli at one site — a species not confirmed in Georgia at this stage.
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Armenian Rock Lizard
Darevskia armeniaca
Southern Georgia — Ninotsminda (Saghamo), AkhalkalakiRisk to humansHarmless
Overview
Armenian Rock Lizard in Georgia
The Armenian rock lizard (Darevskia armeniaca) has conventional species status in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026. It is a parthenogenetic form, supposedly a hybrid between males of D. valentini and females of D. mixta, or a backcross between D. valentini and another parthenogen. The range in southern Georgia is small, with no remarkable differences among populations noted in the account. A barcode is from Akhalkalaki; the figure is from Ninotsminda district, Saghamo Lake. The mitochondrial genome is shared with D. mixta and parthenogenetic D. dahli.
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Gallery
Armenian Rock Lizard in photos
Photo: Konrad Mebert
Photo: David Tarkhnishvili
Dmanisi ·
Georgia field photo
Photo: David Tarkhnishvili
Saghamo Lake ·
Georgia field photo
Identification
How to identify Armenian Rock Lizard
Colour is not enough. Field ID among Darevskia needs scalation and range, not colour. This is a parthenogen with a small southern Georgian range — not D. valentini or D. dahli by colour.
Colour does not separate Darevskia species.
Parthenogenetic; parents D. valentini and D. mixta (or a backcross).
mtDNA matches D. mixta and D. dahli — barcodes are not a field colour mark.
Checklist figures show head scalation and preanal plates.
Not D. valentini or D. dahli by colour; the southern Georgian range is small.
Quiz
Next: which lizard is it?
Armenian Rock Lizard is in the Georgia lizard quiz. Ten field photos, four names — eye practice, not field ID.
Biology
Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Armenian Rock Lizard.
Colour will not tell you. valentini is a parental species and is figured at the same Saghamo Lake; dahli is another parthenogen (parents mixta and portschinskii), named at Kojori in the paper.
No. The paper gives conventional species status.
A small range in southern Georgia. Figure: Ninotsminda, Saghamo Lake; barcode: Akhalkalaki.
Site classification Harmless. No venom.
Colour is not enough. Field ID among Darevskia needs scalation and range, not colour. This is a parthenogen with a small southern Georgian range — not D. valentini or D. dahli by colour.
The paper does not specify diet for this species.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Georgian herpetofauna records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- The Reptile Database
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
Catalog
Lizard species
Every lizard in the index — Darevskia in its own block. An empty cell is a missing source.
IndexQuizWhich lizard is it?
A photo, four names, instant feedback — Georgia’s lizard catalog. This is not the field guide.
Start the quizRock lizardsDarevskia one by one
Colour is not identification. Each species opens its own profile.
Darevskia guideIDWhat lizard is this?
Photo, size, colour, range. For Darevskia, colour is not enough.
ID guide
Darevskia adjarica
Ajarian Rock Lizard
Adjara (Shuakhevi) and Abastumani
Darevskia derjugini
Derjugin's Lizard
Western Georgia and the forest belt of eastern Georgia
Darevskia obscura
Obscure Rock Lizard
Upper Mtkvari, Trialeti, Meskheti, Javakheti, Enguri — Akhaltsikhe, Rveli/Baniskhevi, Akhalkalaki
Darevskia raddei
Radde's Lizard
Upper Mtkvari near the Turkish border — Aspindza (Pia), Tmogvi
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