Striped Lizard

Lacerta strigata

A West Asian Lacerta of semiarid habitats — split from closest relatives more than 10 million years ago.

Semiarid habitats throughout the countryRisk to humansHarmless

At a glance

Key facts in one look

Habitat

Semiarid — widespread

Venom

None — harmless

Family

Lacertidae

Checklist

Confirmed

Overview

What is Striped Lizard

The striped lizard (Lacerta strigata) is a lacertid. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 list it as biologically confirmed: West Asia and the Caucasus, separated from closest relatives >10 Mya (Kumar et al. 2017). In Georgia it is found in semiarid habitats throughout the country. The figure is a juvenile from Dedoplistskaro district, Chankaani; the barcode is from Chankaani. It is harmless to people.

Last updated 24 August 2026

Gallery

Striped Lizard in photos

Striped Lizard (Lacerta strigata) — Semiarid habitats throughout the country — hossein_nabizadeh — Photo: hossein_nabizadeh

Striped Lizard (Lacerta strigata) — Semiarid habitats throughout the country — Kseniia Marianna Prondzynska — Photo: Kseniia Marianna Prondzynska

Striped Lizard (Lacerta strigata) — Semiarid habitats throughout the country — fotis-samaritakis — Photo: fotis-samaritakis

Distribution

Where Striped Lizard lives in Georgia

Highlighted regions show where this species has been recorded.

Identification

How to identify Striped Lizard

A Lacerta of semiarid ground throughout Georgia. Compare L. agilis and L. media.

01
A diurnal lacertid; the checklist figure is a striped juvenile.
02
Semiarid habitats, not only the southeast.
03
Unlike L. agilis, not restricted to elevation in the east.
04
Harmless to people.

Biology

Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation

Habitat and range

Semiarid habitats throughout the country. Figure and barcode: Dedoplistskaro, Chankaani.

Diet

Small invertebrates; the checklist does not specify diet.

Behavior

A diurnal Lacerta. Compare it with the sand lizard and Caucasian green lizard; juveniles often show clearer stripes.

Conservation

Biologically confirmed in the checklist. No global IUCN category is given on this page.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the most important questions about Striped Lizard.

Yes. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026: semiarid habitats throughout the country. The figure is from Chankaani (Dedoplistskaro).

Harmless. It has no venom.

L. agilis is everywhere in the west and above 600–800 m in the east. L. strigata is widespread in semiarid habitats. Colour is not enough.

L. media is a candidate in the L. trilineata complex and is mainly in semiarid eastern Georgia. Compare the profiles.

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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