| Lacerta Temporal range: Miocene—Present, | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Lacertidae |
| Tribe: | Lacertini |
| Genus: | Lacerta Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
| Lacerta agilis | |
| Species | |
Nine, see text. | |
Lacerta is a genus of lizards of the family Lacertidae.
Lacerta was a fairly diverse genus containing around 40 species, until it was split into nine genera in 2007 by Arnold, Arribas & Carranza. [1]
The earliest known members of the genus Lacerta are known from early Miocene epoch fossils indistinguishable in anatomy from the modern green lizards such as Lacerta viridis . [2] Some fossil species from the ice-age mediterranean, such as Lacerta siculimelitensis, reached especially large sizes. [3]
The genus Lacerta contains the following species. [4]
| Image | Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 | Lacerta agilis – sand lizard |  |
 | Lacerta bilineata – western green lizard |  |
| Lacerta citrovittata – Tinos green lizard | Greece | |
| Lacerta diplochondrodes – Rhodos green lizard | Greece | |
 | Lacerta media | Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, |
| Lacerta pamphylica | Turkey | |
 | Lacerta schreiberi – Iberian emerald lizard |  |
| Lacerta strigata – Caucasus emerald lizard | Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Iran | |
 | Lacerta trilineata – Balkan green lizard |  |
 | Lacerta viridis – European green lizard |  |
Arranged alphabetically by specific name:
The Lacertidae are the family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at about 360 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group of reptiles found in Europe.
Timon princeps, commonly called the Siirt lizard or the Zagrosian lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Western Asia.
The Greek algyroides, or Greek keeled lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to Greece.
Iberolacerta is a genus of lizards in the family Lacertidae. The genus contains at least eight described species, which are mainly found in Spain and France. Iberolacerta horvathi has a wider geographic range, being distributed in Central Europe.
Aurelio's rock lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Iberian peninsula.
Phoenicolacerta kulzeri, Kulzer’s Rock Lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Western Asia.
Lacerta oertzeni, the rock lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in Greece and Turkey. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, rocky shores, pastureland, plantations, and rural gardens. It is also called Anatololacerta oertzeni.
The Balkan green lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is the most widespread of the Balkans lizard species. It is found in Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Israel, Syria, and Turkey. Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, plantations, and rural gardens. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Asia Minor thin-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. It is found in Iran, southeastern Turkey, southern Iraq, and Syria.
Phoenicolacerta is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. The genus was described in 2007.
Iranolacerta is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae.
Iranolacerta brandtii, also known commonly as Brandt's Persian lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to eastern Europe and western Asia. There are two recognized subspecies.
Danford's lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to Greece and Turkey. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Darevskia praticola, the meadow lizard, is a lizard species in the genus Darevskia. It is found in Georgia, Russia, Iran, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey.
Darevskia rudis is a lizard species in the family Lacertidae. It is found in the Caucasus and northern coastal Turkey.
Darevskia steineri, also known commonly as Steiner's lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to Iran.
Darevskia valentini, also known commonly as the Caucasian rock lizard or Valentin's lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is native to southeastern Europe and western Asia. There are three recognized subspecies.
Lacerta media is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is found in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Russia.
The dwarf lizard is a species of small lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is endemic to Anatolia and the south Caucasus. In Armenia, where it is present only as thirty-one isolated populations, the species is critically endangered.
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