Derjugin's Lizard

Darevskia derjugini

A ground-dwelling Darevskia, sympatric with other species but phenotypically distinct — colour is not enough.

Western Georgia and the eastern forest belt — Lagodekhi, Sioni, Mulakhi, Racha, Baniskhevi, KintrishiRisk to humansHarmless

At a glance

Key facts in one look

Habitat

Ground / forest belt

Venom

None

Status

Biologically confirmed

Family

Lacertidae

Overview

What is Derjugin's Lizard

Derjugin’s lizard (Darevskia derjugini) is biologically confirmed in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026. It is sympatric with other Darevskia yet remains distinct phenotypically and genetically. Phenotypic diversity is high; genetic diversity within the species is modest. It is one of two ground-dwelling Darevskia in Georgia (the other lineage is the meadow lizards — praticola / pontica). It occurs throughout western Georgia and the forest belt of eastern Georgia. Barcodes: Lagodekhi, Sioni, Mulakhi, Racha, Baniskhevi, Kintrishi; figure: Mestia district, Mulakhi Village.

Last updated 24 August 2026

Gallery

Derjugin's Lizard in photos

Distribution

Where Derjugin's Lizard lives in Georgia

Highlighted regions show where this species has been recorded.

Identification

How to identify Derjugin's Lizard

Colour is not enough. Field ID among Darevskia needs scalation and range, not colour. Paper diagnosis: ground-dwelling, sympatric, but phenotypically distinct.

01
Colour does not separate Darevskia species — phenotypic diversity is high.
02
Ground-dwelling; do not assume a rock species just because it is Darevskia.
03
Sympatric with other Darevskia and still remains distinct.
04
Checklist figures show head scalation and preanal plates (Mulakhi).

Biology

Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation

Habitat and range

A ground-dwelling species. Western Georgia and the eastern forest belt. Named places: Lagodekhi, Sioni, Mulakhi, Racha, Baniskhevi, Kintrishi.

Diet

The paper does not specify diet for this species.

Behavior

Sympatric with other Darevskia and remains phenotypically distinct. Colour is still not enough.

Conservation

Biologically confirmed in the checklist. Subspecies named in the paper: abchasica, barani, orlowae, derjugini.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the most important questions about Derjugin's Lizard.

Colour will not tell you. The paper calls derjugini ground-dwelling; the other ground lineage is praticola/pontica. Rock species may be sympatric but are different taxa.

No. It is biologically confirmed in the checklist.

Western Georgia and the eastern forest belt. Barcodes: Lagodekhi, Sioni, Mulakhi, Racha, Baniskhevi, Kintrishi. Figure: Mulakhi.

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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