Caucasus (Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan) and adjacent northeastern Turkey. 

Species:

Darevskia derjugini  (NIKOLSKY, 1898)

Subspecies (6):

Darevskia derjugini derjugini  (NIKOLSKY, 1898)

Darevskia derjugini abchasica  (BISCHOFF, 1982)

Darevskia derjugini barani  (BISCHOFF, 1982)

Darevskia derjugini boehmei  (BISCHOFF, 1982)

Darevskia derjugini orlowae  (BISCHOFF, 1984)

Darevskia derjugini silvatica  (BARTENEF & REZNIKOVA, 1931)

Darevskia derjugini ssp. 

Synonyms:

Lacerta derjugini  NIKOLSKY, 1898

Darevskia derjugini  ARRIBAS, 1997

Common names:

Artvin Lizard (English)
Artwiner Eidechse (German)
Артвинская ящерица (Russian)

Types:

derjugini: Lectotype: ZISP 9101.1 (fide Orlova, 1978)

abchasica: Holotype: MTD (originally: MM = Museum Magdeburg);
Paratypes in ZFMK and MM

barani: Holotype: MTD (originally: MM = Museum Magdeburg); Paratypes: ZFMK, MM, SZE and CAS

boehmei: Holotype: MTD (= MTKD); Paratypes: ZFMK, MTD (= MTKD), MM, ZMB, AMNH and USNM

orlowae: Holotype: ZFMK 38047, paratypes in MTD (= MTKD)

silvatica: Syntypes: ZISP 15201, 15203. 15205, Coll. A.N. Bartevef

Terra Typica:

derjugini: Artvin, NE Turkey.

abchasica: Suchumi, Georgia.

barani: Botanical Garden of Batumi, Georga.

boehmei: Mount Achun near Sotschi, Russia.

orlowae: Near Pasanauri, Georgia.

silvatica: Caucasus Reserve, `glade Lagernaja on the Belaya River, Russia. (BISCHOFF 1982: 49)


Taxonomic notes:

Systematics is debatable: perhaps some subspecies are not valid (Tuniyev & Ostrovskikh 2006; Kosushkin & Grechko 2013): Distribution patterns and geographical variations of Darevskia derjugini (Nikolsky, 1898) are discussed. D. derjugini has been found to have a continuous habitat within the Russian Federation and Abkhazia and a clinal variation of its morphological characteristics. Specimens from the more ancient southern foothill populations have much more pholidosis characters than lizards from the northern and high-mountain populations formed after the Glacier period (Pleistocene). On the basis of our data D. derjugini should be considered as a monotypic species with the subspecies D. d. silvatica, D. d. boehmei and D. d. abchasica being junior synonyms of D. d. derjugini. Verification is required.

Igor Doronin.


Relevant taxonomic literature:

  • Nikolsky, A.M. (1898) -  On two new lizards from Russia. -  Annuaire Musée Zoologique de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, 3: 285-288.   

  • Ryabinina, N.L. & Bannikova, A.A. & Kosushkin , S.A. & Ciobanu, D.G. & Milto, D.A. & Tuniyev, B.S. Orlova, V.F. & Grechko, V.V. & Darevsky, I.S. (2002) -  Estimation of the subspecies level of differentiation in Caucasian lizards of the genus Darevskia (syn. Lacerta saxicola complex, Lacertidae, Sauria) using genome DNA markers. -  Russian Journal of Herpetology, Moscow, 9 (3): 185–194.    

  • Ciobanu, D.G. & Grechko, V.V. & Darevsky, I.S. (2003) -  Molecular Evolution of Satellite DNA CLsat in Lizards from the Genus Darevskia (Sauria: Lacertidae): Correlation with Species Diversity. -  Russian Journal of Genetics, Moscow, 39 (11): 1292-1305.    

    Чобану Д.Г., Гречко В.В., Даревский И.С. (2003) -  Молекулярная эволюция сателлитной ДНК CLSAT ящериц рода Darevskia (Sauria: Laeertidae): корреляция с видовым разнообразием. -  Генетика, 39 (11): 1527-1541.  

  • Bischoff, W. (2003) -  Die Eidechsenfauna Georgiens. Teil II. Die Gattung Darevskia. -  Die Eidechse, Bonn, 14 (3): 65-93.    

 
 
 
 

Darevskia derjugini: 100  pictures (see subspecies level)

 
 
 

Darevskia derjugini abchasica  © 2009 Rolf Nessing