Daghestanian Rock Lizard

Darevskia daghestanica

A basal rock lizard, not a subspecies of D. caucasica; contiguous on the upper Tergi — colour is not enough.

Tusheti; Akhmeta (Tbatana); upper TergiRisk to humansHarmless

At a glance

Key facts in one look

Habitat

Tusheti / upper Tergi

Venom

None

Status

Biologically confirmed

Family

Lacertidae

Overview

What is Daghestanian Rock Lizard

The Daghestanian rock lizard (Darevskia daghestanica) is biologically confirmed in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026. It has commonly been treated as a sister species or even a subspecies of D. caucasica, but it is a basal lineage equidistant from D. caucasica, D. mixta, and D. clarkorum. Deep genetic differences among populations are shown. The discussion places contiguous ranges with caucasica in the upper Tergi (Terek), where they may hybridize. A barcode is from Tusheti; the figure is from Akhmeta district, Tbatana Mountain.

Last updated 24 August 2026

Gallery

Daghestanian Rock Lizard in photos

Distribution

Where Daghestanian Rock Lizard lives in Georgia

Highlighted regions show where this species has been recorded.

Identification

How to identify Daghestanian Rock Lizard

Colour is not enough. Field ID among Darevskia needs scalation and range, not colour. This is not D. caucasica at subspecies rank.

01
Colour does not separate Darevskia species.
02
A basal lineage, not a subspecies of caucasica — equidistant from caucasica, mixta, and clarkorum.
03
Contiguous range with caucasica on the upper Tergi.
04
Checklist figures show head scalation and preanal plates (Tbatana).

Biology

Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation

Habitat and range

Named places: Tusheti (barcode); Akhmeta district, Tbatana Mountain (figure). Discussion: upper Tergi for contact with caucasica.

Diet

The paper does not specify diet for this species.

Conservation

Biologically confirmed in the checklist. Deep genetic differences among populations are described; the paper does not apply infraspecific names.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the most important questions about Daghestanian Rock Lizard.

Colour will not tell you. The paper keeps daghestanica as a basal lineage, not a subspecies of caucasica. Ranges are contiguous on the upper Tergi.

No. It is biologically confirmed in the checklist.

Barcode: Tusheti. Figure: Akhmeta, Tbatana Mountain. Discussion: upper Tergi with caucasica.

Site classification Harmless. No venom.

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.

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