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The Sand lizard Lacerta agilis inhabits a huge area across Eurasia with several subspecies. Nine subspecies are generally approved, L. a. agilis, L. a. argus, L. a. bosnica; L. a. chersonensis, L. a. exigua, L. a. grusinica, L. a. iorinensis, L. a. brevicaudata and L. a. boemica, but several more have been described. The emergence of this large number of subspecies is connected with the phylogeographic history of this species, defined by geographic and climatic processes. A study revealing phylogenetic relationships of this species was already conducted with a broad taxon sampling and coverage. However, the latter study was based solely on the cytochrome b gene and, furthermore, the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the subspecies L. a. bosnica was underrepresented. This peninsula is a centre of European herpetofaunal endemism with high levels of phenotypic and genotypic variation. Therefore, the inclusion of the subspecies L. a. bosnica is important to clarify the overall view of the phylogenetic relations within the Lacerta agilis subspecies complex and to investigate the level of population differentiation within this highly diverse area. Thus, the aim of the present study was a more thorough analysis of the Balkan Peninsula with a broader taxon sampling. Furthermore, we extended the available datasets by adding the mitochondrial d-loop region and by further samples of different areas of the distribution range apart from the Balkan Peninsula. Our study reveals that the Balkan Peninsula is apparently inhabited by several differentiated lineages, whereby the Central Greek lineage might deserve subspecies status. Furthermore, the distribution area of the two subspecies L. a. agilis and L. a. argus should be revised, as the results of our study raise doubt about the commonly assumed distribution of both subspecies. As the most important outcome our results support that L. a. boemica deserves species status.

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A complete catalogue is provided for the type specimens of lacertid lizards in the herpetological collection of the Zoological Museum, Berlin, as of December, 1993. The collection contains a total of 514 type specimens, representing 63 taxa, of which 42 are currently regarded as valid at the specific or subspecific level. Types representing an additional four taxa appear to have been lost from the collection. The collections are especially rich in African lacertid types and in historically significant specimens collected early in the Nineteenth Century by Pallas, Eversmann, and Hemprich & Ehrenberg. Also present are the type series of many subspecies of Podarcis lilfordi and P. pityusensis described by Eisentraut.

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The final part of a series of papers on the lizards of the Caucasus, that have been published in previous years. The paper reports on the life habits, capture and keeping in terraria of several lizards of Soviet Transcaucasia. In these respects the agamid Phrynocephalus helioscopus persi- cus and three species of the lacertid genus Eremias occuring in that area (i. e. strauchi, velox, pleskei) are discussed. Finally a !ist of all lizard species and subspecies actually known to occur in this region is given.

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Remarks on distribution and mode of life of Lacerta agilis. Short review of its subspecies . Critical remarks on their status.

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General remarks on Georgia as nature area and on ist herpetofauna, with discussion about ist population density. Short presentation and hints on distribution and habitats of Eremias arguta transcaucasica, E. velox caucasica, Ophisops elegans elegans, Lacerta agilis brevicaudata, L. agilis ioriensis, L. agilis grusinica, L. media media and L. strigata.

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The author gives an insight into his decade-long engagement with the sand lizard.

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After being voted «Reptile of the year 2020» the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) was featered extensively in the publications and on the websites of the relevant specialist organizations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg (- not least in this magazine -), and it has repeatedly served as an attractive advertising medium for the protection of our amphibians and reptiles in the daily press. Nevertheless, numerous activities and conferences fell victim to the pandemic last year. And so it seems only logical to give the sand lizard a second chance. For this reason the German Society for Herpetology and Herpetoculture (DGHT), in cooperation with the Austrian Society for Herpetology (ÖGH), the Coordination Center for Amphibian and Reptile Protection in Switzerland (karch), the Natural History Museum Luxembourg (MNHN) and the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union Germany (NABU), annouce the sand lizard «Reptile of the Year 2021».

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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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New data on the distribution of four species of lizards (Darevskia brauneri, D. daghestanica, Lacerta agilis ioriensis, L. strigata) in the Caucasus are presented.

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DNA barcoding remains a recognized and widely used method for taxon identification in biodiversity inventory and monitoring. In this publication, we present information about the results of using this method in the study of green lizards of the genus Lacerta. A total of 67 sequences of the COI gene fragment of three species (L. agilis, L. media, L. strigata) were analyzed. For the first time, all subspecies of L. agilis known in the Caucasus were studied using DNA barcoding, and a phylogeographic hypothesis for L. strigata in the Caucasian part of the range was proposed. Genetic identification has been successful at the species level. In the composition of L. agilis within the Caucasus, we can diagnose only the subspecies L. a. boemica and L. a. exigua, while L. a. brevicaudata, L. a. grusinica and L. a. mzymtensis are identical from L. a. exigua, while L. a. ioriensis from L. a. boemica.

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Drei Vorkommen der Zauneidechse Lacerta agilis ioriensis bei Tianeti, Region Mzcheta-Mtianeti; Georgien, wurden auf ihre Habitatmerkmale, wie Vegetation, Stratifikation, Bodenbeschaffenheit, Bodensubstrat, Neigungswinkel und Exposition hin untersucht. Die größten anthropogenen Gefährdungen gehen derzeit von der Verunreinigung der Lebensräume mit Hausmüll und Bauschutt aus. Streunende Hauskatzen stellen ebenfalls eine große Gefahr für die seltene Lacerta agilis ioriensis dar. Notwendige Schutzmaßnahmen, wie Vermeidung weiterer Abfallverbringungen und Abfallbesreitigung, sowie Aufklärung und Information der heimischen Bevölkerung über die Seltenheit dieser Unteratrt werden aufgezeigt.

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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.

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a) Aus dem Tal des oberen Iori in Nord-Grusinien (Südabdachung des Großen Kaukasus, rund 50 km nordnordöstlich Tbilissi) wird an Hand eines Materials von 50 Exemplaren eine neue Subspecies der Zauneidechse unter dem Namen Lacerta agilis ioriensis ssp. n. beschrieben. b) Lacerta agilis ioriensis hat, obwohl transkaukasisch verbreitet, keine engeren Beziehungen zu den übrigen transkaukasischen Formen der Zauneidechse (L. a. grusinica, L. a. brevicaudata), sondern steht in einem sehr nahen Verhältnis zur nordkaukasischen L. a. boemica, von der sie durch die hohe Kammlinie des Großen Kaukasus im Bereich des Kasbek-Massivs isoliert ist. c) Der Charakter der morphologischen Übereinstimmungen und Unterschiede zwischen L. a. ioriensis und boemica lassen zwingend vermuten, daß beide aus einer Ausgangsform entstanden sind. Ihre Trennung erfolgte durch die Hebung der Kammlinie des zentralen Kaukasus über 2000 m. Spätestens im Frühpleistozän dürfte L. a. ioriensis isoliert worden sein. d) Infolge geographisch-klimatischer und ökologischer Umstände ist L. a. ioriensis eine inselartig isolierte Subspecies, deren Verbreitungsgebiet sehr viel kleiner ist als das aller anderen Unterarten von Lacerta agilis.

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Intraspecific variation of sand lizard in the Western Caucasus is discussed with description of a new high-mountain subspecies Lacerta agilis mzymtensis ssp. nov. from upper basing of Mzymta River (vicinity of Sochi, Russia).