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.
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Darevskia derjugini is a small forest lizard that lives on the ground. It has no venom and is not dangerous to people. In Georgia, it is found in the west and in the forested belt of the east. Identifying it by color alone is unreliable. Its head and body, excluding the tail, are often about 4–6.5 cm long; its tail is often nearly twice as long as its body.
Identification
How to identify Derjugin's Lizard
It is a small forest lizard that lives on the ground. Its head is less flat than that of rock-dwelling Darevskia species. Color alone is not enough to identify it: its physical features, the habitat it lives in, and where it is found also matter.
Often confused with
This lizard’s head is less flat than that of many Darevskia rock lizards. The scales on its back are rounded. They are mostly smooth, though some have a slightly raised line down the middle. Some features that help distinguish this lizard, such as the small holes on its thighs, are visible only up close. Do not catch the lizard to count them.
The back may be dark brown, olive green, or brownish. Pale stripes often run along the sides, and some lizards also have faint pale spots. Males often have a greenish belly and may have blue spots on their sides. Females more often have a yellowish or whitish belly. The rear part of the tail is often turquoise or blue in young lizards. Their colours can vary, so the species cannot be identified accurately by colour alone.
The Artvin lizard may resemble Darevskia praticola, Darevskia pontica, and some rock-dwelling Darevskia species found in the same area. The Artvin lizard moves mainly on the forest floor. Rock-dwelling species, including Darevskia brauneri and Darevskia obscura, have flatter heads. You may find them in the same valley as the Artvin lizard. D. brauneri has several scales between the central scale on its temple and the scale by its ear. These are visible only in a clear close-up photo. You cannot tell these species apart by color alone.
In a 2026 Georgian list, this species appears under the Georgian name “კავკასიური ტყის ხვლიკი”. It is also called “ართვინის ხვლიკი”. This second name refers to Artvin in northeastern Turkey. The specimen used to describe the species is believed to have been found there. Older sources also use the name Lacerta derjugini. Its scientific name today is Darevskia derjugini.
The Artvin lizard is found in western Georgia and the forested belt in the east. It is less likely to be seen on dry plains or in open steppe.
Gallery
Derjugin's Lizard in photos
This lizard is found mainly in forests and at forest edges — on the ground, in grass, and among fallen leaves and roots. It can also be seen beside forest roads, in clearings, and along rivers and streams. A 2026 list names Lagodekhi, Sioni, Mulakhi, Racha, Baniskhevi and Kintrishi. These are separate locations. Listing them does not mean the lizard is found everywhere between them.
Distribution
Where Artvin lizard distribution is confirmed in Georgia
351 field records2009–20269 confirmed regions
Interactive map is loading.
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Confirmed distribution region
The Artvin lizard map uses public iNaturalist photo observations in Georgia. Those public coordinates are obscured by about 28 km, so a point near a regional border is approximate. Regions come from the records-by-region table: five or more records confirm distribution; fewer records leave the region recorded only. Record counts reflect observation effort, not population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
Biology
Diet, behavior, and conservation
Diet
The lizard known as ართვინის ხვლიკი mainly eats small animals without backbones, including insects and spiders.
Behavior
ართვინის ხვლიკი is active during the day. In warm weather, it basks in the sun at forest edges and in open areas. When threatened, it quickly runs away and hides. It lays eggs.
Conservation
A 2009 global assessment found this species close to being at risk of extinction. Across much of the area where it lives, forests are being lost and its habitat is being split into separate areas. Its numbers are therefore thought to be declining. The species was not included in Georgia’s 2014 Red List.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Derjugin's Lizard.
The lizard known in Georgian as ართვინის ხვლიკი occurs in western Georgia and the forest belt of eastern Georgia.
It is found in forests and at forest edges, often on the ground among grass and fallen leaves. You may also encounter it near forest roads and along stream banks.
No. This lizard has no venom and poses no threat to human health. It usually runs away when threatened. It may bite if you catch it, so do not pick it up.
The Artvin lizard is found mainly in wooded areas, on the ground. Its head is less flat than that of rock-dwelling Darevskia species. Rock lizards move on rocks more often. Color alone is not a reliable way to tell them apart.
The head and body together, excluding the tail, are often about 4–6.5 cm long. The tail is often almost twice as long as the body.
Mainly small animals without backbones, including insects and spiders.
It is active during the day, especially in warm weather. It lays eggs.
Observe it from a distance, take a photo, and leave it where it is. You do not need to catch a lizard to identify it. If the lizard is moving on a vertical rock face and has a noticeably flat head, it may be another Darevskia species rather than the lizard called ართვინის ხვლიკი.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Tarkhnishvili & Iankoshvili 2023 — Geographic proximity and niche overlap in Caucasian rock lizards
- Kropachev et al. 2023 — Morphological, spatial, and genetic differentiation of three sympatric Darevskia species
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2020 — Phenotypic divergence, convergence and evolution of Caucasian rock lizards
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2016 — Mitochondrial phylogeny of the Darevskia saxicola complex
- Bischoff 2007 — Auf der Suche nach Gebirgs- und Gebirgsendemiten
- Ilgaz 2009 — Comparative morphology of Darevskia parvula subspecies in Northeastern Anatolia
- Bannikov et al. 1977 — Определитель земноводных и пресмыкающихся фауны СССР
- Ananjeva et al. 2006 — The Reptiles of Northern Eurasia, pp. 164–165
- Muskhelishvili 1970 — Пресмыкающиеся восточной Грузии
- Bischoff 1982 — Innerartliche Gliederung von Lacerta derjugini
- Bischoff 1984 — Verbreitung von Lacerta derjugini am Südkaukasus
- Orlova & Bischoff 1984 — Lacerta derjugini in the atlas of amphibians and reptiles of Europe
- Kurnaz et al. 2017 — Status of Darevskia derjugini barani in Turkey
- Altunışık & Eksilmez 2020 — Age and growth of Darevskia derjugini
- Tuniyev, Koval & Vargovitsh 2021 — Amphibians and reptiles in caves of the Greater Caucasus
- Tuniyev et al. 2009 — IUCN Red List account for Darevskia derjugini
- საქართველოს მთავრობის დადგენილება №190 (2014) — წითელი ნუსხა
- 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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