Lizards
Uzzell’s lizard confirmed in Armenia for the first time
Four parthenogenetic Darevskia at one site — a range beyond Türkiye. The species is not recorded in Georgia.
On 9 July 2026, Animals published the first confirmation of Uzzell’s lizard (Darevskia uzzelli) in Armenia. The species had been treated as an endangered endemic of a small area in northeastern Türkiye. The authors are Marine Arakelyan and colleagues. This record is not from Georgia.
What did they find?
Morphological and genetic analyses show that lizards from Shirak Province, near Jradzor in the Akhuryan valley, match Turkish D. uzzelli and are clearly distinct from the related parthenogen D. unisexualis. The paper extends the range accepted since 1977 into Armenia. There is no Georgian locality in the paper.
Why four species together?
The authors call the site the richest known assemblage of parthenogenetic rock lizards: D. uzzelli lives there with Armenian rock lizard, Dahl’s rock lizard and D. unisexualis. No sexual Darevskia is recorded at this point in the paper. Colour does not separate these species.
What threatens the site?
The authors ask for continuous study and protection: the scientific value is high. The habitat lies outside protected areas and is under pressure from the Kaps reservoir. This is not a Georgian region.
What does this mean for the atlas?
D. uzzelli is not on this atlas and this paper does not add it. Armenian rock lizard and Dahl’s rock lizard occur in Georgia in the 2026 checklist; D. unisexualis is not here. The lizards hub remains the main record; news only adds context from this Armenian record.
