Mixed Rock Lizard

Darevskia mixta

A western Georgian endemic rock lizard; absent from Adjara and not D. caucasica — colour is not enough.

Western Georgia (not Adjara) — Sairme, Tchkhorotskhu, BaniskheviRisk to humansHarmless

At a glance

Key facts in one look

Habitat

Western Georgia (not Adjara)

Venom

None

Status

Biologically confirmed

Family

Lacertidae

Overview

What is Mixed Rock Lizard

The mixed rock lizard (Darevskia mixta) is biologically confirmed in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026. Despite little mtDNA difference from D. caucasica, it forms a narrow contact zone with that species in the Greater Caucasus. It was previously thought to be a hybrid between D. derjugini and D. saxicola. The paper says the vernacular “Ajarian lizard” should be changed to “Georgian lizard”: the species is endemic to western Georgia but absent from the Ajara region — so it is not D. adjarica. Barcodes are from Sairme and Tchkhorotskhu; the figure is from Sairme; a Baniskhevi sequence is named in the account. It is the matrilineal ancestor of parthenogens armeniaca and dahli.

Last updated 24 August 2026

Gallery

Mixed Rock Lizard in photos

Distribution

Where Mixed Rock Lizard lives in Georgia

Highlighted regions show where this species has been recorded.

Identification

How to identify Mixed Rock Lizard

Colour is not enough. Field ID among Darevskia needs scalation and range, not colour. It is absent from Adjara — this is not adjarica.

01
Colour does not separate Darevskia species; mtDNA is close to caucasica.
02
Endemic to western Georgia, absent from Adjara — do not confuse with D. adjarica.
03
Formerly treated as a hybrid; now a species with a narrow contact zone with caucasica.
04
Checklist figures show head scalation and preanal plates (Sairme).

Biology

Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation

Habitat and range

Western Georgia, excluding Adjara. Named places: Sairme, Tchkhorotskhu (barcodes); Baniskhevi (sequence). Contact zone with D. caucasica in the Greater Caucasus.

Diet

The paper does not specify diet for this species.

Conservation

Biologically confirmed in the checklist. Endemic to western Georgia according to the paper.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

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

No. mixta is absent from Adjara; adjarica is a candidate in the parvula complex at Shuakhevi. It has a narrow contact zone with caucasica in the Greater Caucasus — colour will not tell them apart.

No. The paper biologically validates species status.

Western Georgia, excluding Adjara. Barcodes: Sairme, Tchkhorotskhu; figure: Sairme; also Baniskhevi.

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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