Genus:

Darevskia ARRIBAS, 1999

Species (40):

Darevskia adjarica  (DAREVSKY & EISELT, 1980)

Darevskia alpina  (DAREVSKY, 1967)

Darevskia armeniaca  (MÉHELY, 1909)

Darevskia arribasi  TUNIYEV, PETROVA & LOTIEV, 2023

Darevskia bendimahiensis  (SCHMIDTLER et al., 1994)

Darevskia bithynica  (MÉHELY, 1909)

Darevskia brauneri  (MÉHELY, 1909)

Darevskia caspica  AHMADZADEH et al. 2013

Darevskia caucasica  (MÉHELY, 1909)

Darevskia chlorogaster  (BOULENGER, 1908)

Darevskia clarkorum  (DAREVSKY & VEDMEDERJA, 1977)

Darevskia daghestanica  (DAREVSKY, 1967)

Darevskia dahli  (DAREVSKY, 1957)

Darevskia defilippii  (CAMERANO, 1877)

Darevskia derjugini  (NIKOLSKY, 1898)

Darevskia josefschmidtleri  ARRIBAS et al., 2022

Darevskia kamii  AHMADZADEH et al. 2013

Darevskia kopetdaghica  AHMADZADEH et al. 2013

Darevskia lindholmi  (SZCZERBAK, 1962)

Darevskia mirabilis  ARRIBAS, ILGAZ, KUMLUTAS, DURMUS, AVCI & ÜZÜM, 2013

Darevskia mixta  (MÉHELY, 1909)

Darevskia nairensis  (DAREVSKY, 1967)

Darevskia parvula  (LANTZ & CYRÉN, 1913)

Darevskia pontica  (LANTZ & CYRÉN, 1918)

Darevskia portschinskii  (KESSLER, 1878)

Darevskia praticola  (EVERSMANN, 1834)

Darevskia raddei  (BOETTGER, 1892)

Darevskia rostombekowi  (DAREVSKY, 1957)

Darevskia rudis  (BEDRIAGA, 1886)

Darevskia salihae  KURNAZ, ŞAHIN & EROĞLU, 2022

Darevskia sapphirina  (SCHMIDTLER et al., 1994)

Darevskia saxicola  (EVERSMANN, 1834)

Darevskia schaekeli  AHMADZADEH et al. 2013

Darevskia spitzenbergerae  (EISELT, DAREVSKY & SCHMIDTLER, 1992)

Darevskia steineri  (EISELT, 1995)

Darevskia szczerbaki  (LUKINA, 1963)

Darevskia tuniyevi  ARRIBAS et al., 2022

Darevskia unisexualis  (DAREVSKY, 1966)

Darevskia uzzelli  (DAREVSKY & DANIELYAN, 1977)

Darevskia valentini  (BOETTGER, 1892)

Uncertain (2):

Darevskia aghasyani  TUNIYEV, B.S. & T.V. PETROVA, 2019

Darevskia dryada  (DAREVSKY & TUNIYEV, 1997)

Species Typica:

Darevskia saxicola  (EVERSMANN, 1834)


Taxonomic notes:

Caucasilacerta Harris, Arnold & Thomas, 1998 has been considered as a nomen nudum during the last 18 years (Arnold et al., 2007). Recently a paper by Busack et al. (2016) suggest that the publication of Arribas (1997) in microfiche is not valid, and that Caucasilacerta Harris, Arnold and Thomas, 1998 is valid, and has priority over Darevskia Arribas, 1999. In fact Busack et al. (2016) were unaware that a case was submitted to the ICZN to validate the Arribas (1997) publication in microfiche, which was perfectly valid when published (according the 1985 version of the Code), however not according the current version (ICZN, 2000 and actualizations) that only allow publication in paper and optical disks, with retroactive effect. If a case is accepted for consideration, Art 82.1 of the Code protects the widespread used nomen, until the Comission reach a verdict. A paper has been submitted which will reply to Busack et al. (2016), explaining in detail why Caucasilacerta is really a nomen nudum (Arribas, 2016).

Osсar Arribas, Igor Doronin


The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has conserved the names Iberolacerta and Darevskia for two genera of lacertid lizards by confirming their availability from Arribas (1999). The microfiche publication (Arribas, 1997) is confirmed as unavailable and placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Works in Zoological Nomenclature. The name Caucasilacerta Harris, Arnold & Thomas, 1998 is confirmed as a nomen nudum and placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology.


Relevant taxonomic literature:

  • Uzzell, T. & Darevsky, I.S. (1975) -  Biochemical evidence for the hybrid origin of the parthenogenetic species of Lacerta saxicola complex (Sauria, Lacertidae) with a discussion of some ecological and evolutionary implications. -  Copeia, 1975 (2): 204-222.  

  • Moritz, C. & Uzzell, T. & Spolsky, C. & Hotz, H. & Darevsky, I.S. & Kupriyanova, L. & Danielyan, F. (1992) -  The maternal ancestry and approximate age of parthenogenetic species of Caucasian rock lizards (Lacerta: Lacertidae). -  Genetica, The Hague, 87 (1): 53-62.    

  • Arribas, O.J. (1997) -  Morfología, filogenia y biogeografía de las lagartijas de alta montaña de los Pirineos. -  Ph.D. Thesis. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. 353 pp. (8 pp in paper and 353 pp in microfiche). Publications Universitat Autònoma Barcelona.  

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

  • Arnold, E.N. & Arribas, O. & Carranza, S. (2007) -  Systematics of the Palaearctic and Oriental lizard tribe Lacertini (Squamata: Lacertidae: Lacertinae), with descriptions of eight new genera. -  Zootaxa, 1430: 1-86.    

  • Ahmadzadeh, F. & Flecks, M. & Carretero, M.A. & Mozaffari, O. & Böhme, W. & Harris, D.J. & Freitas, S. & Rödder, D. (2013) -  Cryptic speciation patterns in Iranian Rock Lizards uncovered by integrative taxonomy. -  PLoS ONE 8 (12): e80563.     

  • Arribas, O. & Candan, K. & Kornilios, P. & Ayaz, D. & Kumlutas, Y. & Gül, S. & Yilmaz, C. & Yildirim Caynak, E. & Ilgaz, C. (2022) -  Revising the taxonomy of Darevskia valentini (Boettger, 1892) and Darevskia rudis (Bedriaga, 1886) (Squamata, Lacertidae): a Morpho-Phylogenetic integrated study in a complex Anatolian scenario. -  Zootaxa, 5224 (1): 1-68.    

 
 
 
 

Darevskia: 1283  pictures (see species level)

 
 
 

Darevskia rudis bischoffi  © 2022 Kseniia Marianna Prondzynska