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An analysis based on 55 specimens of Lacerta derjugini from different localities on the southern slope of the Great Caucasus, all situated in the territory of the Georgian SSR/USSR, lead to the following results: 1. The distribution area of Lacerta derjugini boehmei BISCHOFF, 1982, is restricted to the westernmost part of the southern slope of the Caucasus. 2. Apart from the type locality (Suchumi) Lacerta derjugini abchasica BISCHOFF, 1982, also exists in the river valleys of the Kodori and Inguri. 3. The lizards living in the eastern part of the distribution area are described here as Lacerta derjugini orlowae ssp.n. (type locality: Pasanauri).

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In Georgia, 16 species of rock lizards of the Genus Darevskia are occuring (D. alpina, D. „armeniaca`, D. brauneri, D. caucasica, D. clarkorum, D. daghestanica, D. „dahli`, D. derjugini, D. mixta, D. nairensis, D. parvula, D. portschinskii, D. praticola, D. rudis, D. „unisexualis` and D. Valentini). Besides short presentations of the single species and hints on their distribution and habitats, also some systematic remarks are given.

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In the herpetological collection of ZFMK 528 scientific species group names are represented by type materi- al. Of these, 304 names are documented by primary type specimens (onomatophores) while for 224 further names sec- ondary type specimens (typoids) are available, ranging chronologically from 1801 to 2010. The list is a shortened pred- ecessor of a comprehensive type catalogue in progress. It lists name bearing types with their catalogue numbers includ- ing information on further type series members also in other institutions, while secondary types are listed only by pres- ence, both in ZFMK and other collections including holotype repositories. Geographic origin and currently valid names are also provided.

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Many regions of the former USSR still re- ceive little attention from Western visitors, herpetologists not excluded. For the Cau- casus Mountains this is all the more sur- prising since the area forms a zone where northern and Middle Eastern flora and fauna meet, and which is thus of considera- bly zoogeographical interest. Presently we find three larger states in the Caucasus: Georgia, Azerbaijan and Arme- nia. Turkey borders to the southwest, Iran to the southeast, and in the north it is the Russian federation. Various smaller parts claim independence. The Black Sea forms the natural western boundary, the Caspian Sea the eastern one. Herpetologically the Caucasus is historically well-known because of the work of Darev- sky and collaborators on the rock lizards (at the time still in the large genus Lacerta, now in Darevskia) and the discovery of the first case of parthenogenesis in vertebrates (DAREVSKY, 1967; DAREVSKII, 1978; DAREVSKY & KULIKOVA, 1961). Below we will concentrate on the results of our field trip to Georgia during the last two weeks of June 2003. Predictably, because of our common interest in the group, the lacertids will receive the most attention.

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The structure and evolution of a satellite DNA family was examined in lizards from the genus Darevskia(family Lacertidae). Comparison of tandem units of repeated DNA (satDNA), CLsat, in all species from the genus Darevskiahas shown that their variability is largely explained by single-nucleotide substitutions, which form about 50 diagnostic positions underlying classification of the family into three subfamilies. Maximum differences between the subfamilies reached 25%. At this level of tandem unit divergence in the subfamilies, no cross-hybridization between them was observed (at 65°C). The individual variability within one subfamily within the species was on average 5% while the variability between species consensuses within a subfamily was 10%. The presence of highly conserved regions in all monomers and some features of their organization show that satellites of all Darevskia species belong to one satDNA family. The organization of unit sequences of satellites CLsat and Agi160 also detected by us in another lizard genus, Lacerta s. str. was compared. Similarity that was found between these satellites suggests their relatedness and common origin. A possible pathway of evolution of these two satDNA families is proposed. The distribution and content of CLsat repeat subfamilies in all species of the genus was examined by Southern hybridization. Seven species had mainly CLsatI (83 to 96%); three species, approximately equal amounts of CLsatI and CLsatIII (the admixture of CLsatII was 2–5%); and five species, a combination of all three subfamilies in highly varying proportions. Based on these results as well as on zoogeographic views on the taxonomy and phylogeny of the Darevskia species, hypotheses on the evolution of molecular-genetic relationships within this genus are advanced.

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Tis paper contains information on the records of bottom macroinvertebrates, Fish, amphibians and reptiles collected during a Field expedition to the valley of the river Tskhenistskali (in the vicinities of town of Lentekhi and village of Sasashi) in April 2018. According to the results of the study, three Fish species (Actinopterigii) of three families (Salmonidae, Cyprinidae and Nemacheilidae) inhabits three studied rivers (Kheledula, Devashi and Tskhenistskali Rivers). Seven species of reptiles (Squamata: Anguidae — 1, Colubridae — 1, Viperidae — 1, Lacertidae — 4), and ve species of amphibians (Anura: Hylidae — 1, Bufonidae — 1, Ranidae – 2; Caudata: Salamandridae — 1) were registered within the investigated area. Around Lentekhi town three species of the genus Darevskia Arribas, 1999, namely Darevskia rudis svanetica (Darevsky & Eiselt, 1980), Darevskia brauneri brauneri (Mehely, 1909) and Darevskia derjugini abchasica (Bischoff, 1982) were found to live almost sympatrically, with only river serving as a natural barrier between the species. e paper also contains descriptions of habitats characteristic of the region for the species found and the results of route surveys with D. d. abchasica and P. ridibundus being the most numerous species of herpetofauna (sensu lato) — up to 35 and 20 individuals per 100 m of route. In order to illustrate the feeding base of the registered vertebrates, the study of species composition (n = 114) of bottom macroinvertebrates, that form the main component of food source for them. The recorded invertebrates belong to 16 taxonomic groups of the higher rank (up to 98.1 % of all benthic invertebrates appeared to be insects, including Ephemeroptera — 51 %, Plecoptera — 17.4 % Сhironomidae — 14.2 %, Trichoptera — 11.5 %, Diptera — 3 %). Other groups, namely Turbellaria, Nematoda, Oligochaeta, Araneida, Acarina, Collembola, Heteroptera, Coleoptera, in total form a little less than 3 % of all recorded species. Registrations of fauna from mountain regions will help to update actual maps of natural ranges of the species within the country and tend to be a valuable addition to the data that can be potentially used in GIS-modelling of species’ distribution according to predicted climate changes.

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After a brief description of Georgia’s landscape the author reports on the lizards of the family Lacertidae that were found during a herpetological trip in May 2012. In addition, a list of the recorded herpetological taxa is presented.