Which snakes occur in Shida Kartli?

Region

Species recorded in Shida Kartli

Shida Kartli bridges dry and semi-humid zones via plains, foothills, and the Mtkvari valley. Western and eastern faunal elements meet — from nose-horned viper to fast racers.

Plain · Mtkvari valley33 species4 venomous

Range

Shida Kartli on the map of Georgia

Geography

Habitats

The Shida Kartli plain, foothills, and Mtkvari valley bridge dry and semi-humid zones.

Shida Kartli plain01
Foothills02
Mtkvari valley03

Species

Species recorded in Shida Kartli

33 species

Vipera ammodytes

Nose-horned viper

Lesser Caucasus

Vipera kaznakovi

Caucasus viper

western Georgia

Dolichophis schmidti

Red-bellied racer

Eastern Georgia

Natrix tessellata

Dice snake

Georgia — near water

Natrix natrix

Grass snake

Georgia — throughout, most numerous in the humid west

Anguis colchica

Colchis Slow Worm

Georgia

Hyla orientalis

Eastern Treefrog

most of Georgia

Rana macrocnemis

Caucasian Brown Frog

Forest and mountain waters

Pelophylax ridibundus

Marsh Frog

near water throughout Georgia

Bufotes viridis

Green Toad

Georgia — open country

Bufo verrucosissimus

Caucasian Toad

humid forest

Pseudopus apodus

European glass lizard

eastern Georgia

Platyceps najadum

Dahl's whip snake

Eastern and southern Georgia

Telescopus fallax

European cat snake

Eastern and southern Georgia

Coronella austriaca

Smooth snake

Georgia — widespread

Eirenis modestus

Ring-headed Dwarf Snake

Eastern and central Georgia

Zamenis hohenackeri

Transcaucasian Ratsnake

Georgia — dry rocky and grassland country

Tenuidactylus caspius

Caspian Thick-toed Gecko

Extreme southeast Georgia; urban exclaves

Paralaudakia caucasia

Caucasian Agama

eastern and southern Georgia; locally in the west

Darevskia praticola

Meadow Lizard

Eastern and central Georgia — Sioni, Tushurebi

Ommatotriton ophryticus

Northern Banded Newt

mountain forest, subalpine, western coast

Lissotriton lantzi

Caucasian Smooth Newt

forest ponds and lakes

Triturus karelinii

Eastern Crested Newt

forest ponds and lakes

Pelodytes caucasicus

Caucasian Parsley Frog

humid Caucasian forest

Pelobates syriacus

Eastern Spadefoot

dry landscapes of eastern Georgia

Testudo graeca

Mediterranean Tortoise

Eastern Georgia (T. g. ibera); west — rare (T. g. nikolskii)

Darevskia portschinskii

Portschinsky's Lizard

Central Lesser Caucasus — Kojori; hybrid zone in the Tana valley

Argiope bruennichi

Wasp spider

Western and eastern lowlands

Argiope lobata

Lobed argiope

Shida Kartli and Kakheti

Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

Mediterranean black widow

Eastern steppe and Kartli

Cheiracanthium punctorium

European yellow sac spider

Tbilisi, Kakheti, Imereti, and other confirmed localities

Euscorpius italicus

Italian scorpion

Georgia; several regions

Mesobuthus eupeus

Mottled scorpion

Georgia

Only confirmed records are added to region pages. If a species’ link to a specific administrative unit has not yet been confirmed by a source, it will not appear in the relevant list.

Safety

Venomous snakes in Shida Kartli

Only moderate or high-risk species are highlighted here. When you meet an unknown snake, keep distance and use the full species profile for identification.

Vipera ammodytes