Caucasian Rock Lizard
Darevskia caucasica
A Greater Caucasus rock lizard with a contiguous range with D. daghestanica on the upper Tergi; colour is not enough for identification.
Overview
What is Caucasian Rock Lizard
The Caucasian rock lizard (Darevskia caucasica) is biologically confirmed in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026. Doronin et al. (2021) report strong genetic differences between Georgian populations and those of the northern Caucasus; a genomic study (Tarkhnishvili et al. 2025) supports several genetically distant units within D. caucasica. It forms a narrow contact zone with D. mixta in the Greater Caucasus. The discussion notes contiguous ranges with D. daghestanica in the upper Tergi (Terek), where they may hybridize. Barcodes: Zakagori Fortress, Mount Tbatana, Lebarde; figure: Truso Valley, Zakagori.
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Identification
How to identify Caucasian Rock Lizard
Colour is not enough. Field ID among Darevskia needs scalation and range, not colour. daghestanica and mixta are close taxa, not the same species by colour.
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Colour does not separate Darevskia species.
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Georgian populations differ strongly from the northern Caucasus genetically.
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Contiguous with daghestanica on the upper Tergi; narrow contact with mixta in the Greater Caucasus.
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Checklist figures show head scalation and preanal plates (Truso, Zakagori).
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Caucasian Rock Lizard.
Colour will not tell you. daghestanica is a basal lineage, not simply a subspecies of caucasica; ranges are contiguous on the upper Tergi. mixta has a narrow contact zone and little mtDNA difference.
No. It is biologically confirmed in the checklist.
Figure: Truso Valley, Zakagori Fortress. Barcodes: Zakagori, Tbatana, Lebarde. Discussion: upper Tergi with daghestanica.
Site classification Harmless. No venom.
- 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.
