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.   

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• 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.    

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  The taxonomic categories such as population and subspecies were studied on the example of three Caucasian lizard species of genus Darevskia - D. praticola, D. derjugini, and D. rudis by comparing the morphological data and results inferred from nuclear DNA markers. RAPD and new inter-MIR-PCR (IM-PCR) methods were used. The IM-PCR was used to characterize the lacertid DNA fragments located between dispersed SINE type repeats which occurred to be ortologous to mammalian repeats of the same type. It was shown that separation of the Northern population of D. derjugini (subspecies silvatica) is supported by the comparison with two Southern populations (derjugini and barani). The latter ones, in their turn, are very similar and hardly can be considered as good subspecies by the genetic distance. The subspecific division of D. praticola (praticola and pontica) also requires more specification. For example, several populations from North Caucasus (ssp. praticola) occurred to be heterogeneous. The level of differences between ssp. praticola and pontica is of the same order as in some of the praticola populations. Low level of molecular differences between two subspecies of D. rudis (obscura and bischoffi) does not confirm their validity as a full subspecies.

• 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.    

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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.

  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.  

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  Исследовали структуру и эволюцию семейства сателлитной ДНК ящериц рода Darevskia сем. Lac-ertidae. При сравнительном анализе последовательностей мономеров тандемных повторов ДНК (сатДНК) - CLsat - всех видов ящериц р. Darevskia показано, что вариабельность повторов обусловлена главным образом однонуклеотидными заменами, которые образуют около 50 диагностических позиций, на основании которых выделены три подсемейства повторов. Максимальные значения различий между подсемействами достигают 25%. При такой степени дивергенции мономеров трех подсемейств перекрестной гибридизации (при 65°С) между ними не наблюдается. Индивидуальная вариабельность мономеров одного подсемейства внутри вида в среднем составляет 5%, а вариабельность между видовыми консенсусами внутри подсемейства - 10%. Наличие высококонсервативных областей во всех мономерах и ряд особенностей их организации позволяют рассматривать сателлиты всех видов р. Darevskia как единое семейство сатДНК. Приведено сравнение организации последовательности мономеров сателлита CLsat и обнаруженного нами Agi160 из другого рода ящериц -Lacerta s. str. Выявлено сходство, свидетельствующее о родстве этих сателлитов и об их общем происхождении, предложен вероятный путь эволюции этих двух семейств сатДНК. Методом Саузерн-гибридизации изучено распространение и содержание подсемейств повторов CLsat во всех видах рода. Семь видов содержат в основном CLsatl (от 83 до 96%), три вида - примерно равные количества CLsatl и CLsatIII (примесь CLsatII составляет 2-5%), а пять видов - сумму всех трех подсемейств в сильно отличающихся соотношениях. На основе этих данных, в совокупности с зоогеографически-ми представлениями о родстве видов р. Darevskia, предложены гипотезы эволюции молекулярно-генетического родства видов этого рода.

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

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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.