The European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus) is a large legless lizard in the Anguidae family. In Georgia, it is often mistaken for a snake. It can be told apart from a snake by its movable eyelids, ear openings and a noticeable fold along the sides of its body. A 2026 scientific list confirms that it occurs in Georgia, but lists it only in eastern Georgia. The map on this page also shows publicly reported observations in Abkhazia and Adjara. The map’s “confirmed” label is based on the number of records. This does not mean the 2026 list also confirms its presence in western Georgia. The European glass lizard is not venomous and poses no danger to people. It reaches about one meter in length. Some large ones grow to 1.35 meters. Its risk of extinction has been assessed as low worldwide. A separate assessment in 2021 also found the risk low in Georgia. It is not on Georgia’s Red List. If you encounter one, leave it where it is and do not pick it up. To identify it, take a photo from a safe distance.
Identification
How to identify European glass lizard
Gvelkhokera is not a snake. It is a large, thick-bodied legless lizard. Color alone is not enough to identify it: look for movable eyelids, ear openings, and a clearly visible fold along the sides of its body. Its body is thicker than a bokhmecha’s.
Often confused with
A gvelkhokera can close its eyes, but snakes have no eyelids. This is one of the easiest ways to tell them apart.
The glass lizard has clearly visible ear openings on the sides of its head. This is one of the main ways to tell it from a snake.
A noticeable fold runs along the sides of its body. This fold helps its body expand when it breathes and eats. The bokhmecha does not have such a pronounced fold.
Some also have small, not fully developed legs visible at the base of the tail.
Young glass lizards often have dark markings, while adults are more uniform in color. So don’t rely on color alone to identify them.
The bokhmecha is smaller and has a smooth body. The gvelkhokera is a large, thick-bodied legless lizard. A clearly visible fold runs along the sides of its body.
Gallery
European glass lizard in photos
The glass lizard is found in warm, open places: fields, sparse woodlands, among bushes, on rocky slopes, in river valleys, in gardens and along the edges of village yards. In eastern Georgia, it also lives in dry and semi-dry parts of the Mtkvari, Iori and Alazani river valleys.
Distribution
Where the European glass lizard is recorded in Georgia
225 field records2011–20267 regions
Interactive map is loading.
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Confirmed distribution region
This map uses public iNaturalist observations of the European glass lizard in Georgia. Its shaded distribution comes from regions marked confirmed in the records-by-region table; other regions have records only. The 2026 checklist describes an eastern range, while the observation table also confirms Abkhazia by this map's record threshold. Counts reflect observation effort, not population density.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
Biology
Diet, behavior, and conservation
Diet
The gvelkhokera often eats snails and slugs. It also catches insects and sometimes small lizards and other small animals. Its strong jaws make it easier to eat animals with shells. Because it eats snails and slugs, it may be useful in a garden.
Behavior
The gvelkhokera lives on the ground and is mostly active during the day. In eastern Georgia, it is most active in spring and early summer. The female lays eggs and sometimes stays near the nest to protect them. When frightened, it may hiss or bite. This is how it defends itself and has nothing to do with venom. It can also shed its tail. Don’t touch a wild animal with your hands—take a photo to identify it.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about European glass lizard.
The glass lizard is a lizard, not a snake. You can tell it apart from a snake by its movable eyelids, ear openings and a clearly visible fold of skin along the sides of its body.
As of 2026, gvelkhokera has been recorded in Georgia. Its distribution has been described only in eastern Georgia.
No. The glass lizard is not venomous. It may bite you if frightened, so don’t pick it up—leave it where it is. It eats insects and slugs, which may also make it helpful.
According to a 2026 scientific list, the glass lizard occurs in eastern Georgia. The map also shows public records of sightings in Abkhazia and Adjara, but these records do not change what the list says about its range in western Georgia.
To identify a glass lizard, look for its movable eyelids, ear openings and a visible fold along the sides of its body. Young ones may have dark markings, while adults may be more uniform in color. So don’t rely on color alone.
The glass lizard is found in open areas — on plains, in sparse forests and among bushes, as well as on rocky slopes and in river valleys. It may also appear in gardens and near village yards.
The European glass lizard often eats snails and slugs. It also catches insects and sometimes eats small lizards and other small animals.
The bokhmecha is smaller and has a smooth body. The gvelkhokera is much larger, with a noticeable fold along the sides of its body and an often yellowish belly. Both are nonvenomous lizards; neither is a snake.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Nikolskii 1913 — Georgian records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- Muskhelishvili 1970 — Georgian records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- Bannikov et al. 1977 — Georgian records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- IUCN Red List
- The Reptile Database
- Georgian Government Resolution No. 190 of 2014 — Red List of Georgia
- iNaturalist — Pseudopus apodus-ის საჯარო დაკვირვებები საქართველოში
- ილიას სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი — გველხოკერას ეროვნული შეფასება (2021)
- Jovanović Glavaš et al. 2020 — Pseudopus apodus-ის შეფერილობა და ეკოლოგია
- Milto 2010 — Pseudopus apodus-ის ბუნებრივი ბუდე და მდედრის ქცევა
- Kukushkin 2022 — Pseudopus apodus-ის გამრავლება და კვერცხებზე ზრუნვა
- პრაღის ზოოპარკი — Pseudopus apodus-ის აღწერა
- ტეხასის უნივერსიტეტი — Pseudopus apodus-ის აგებულება
- თელ-ავივის უნივერსიტეტი — Pseudopus apodus-ის კვება
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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