| Lacerta agilis LINNAEUS, 1758 Lacerta bilineata DAUDIN, 1802 Lacerta citrovittata WERNER, 1938 Lacerta diplochondrodes WETTSTEIN, 1952 Lacerta media LANTZ & CYRÉN, 1920 Lacerta pamphylica SCHMIDTLER, 1975 Lacerta schreiberi BEDRIAGA, 1878 Lacerta strigata EICHWALD, 1831 Lacerta trilineata BEDRIAGA, 1886 Lacerta viridis (LAURENTI, 1768) |
| Lacerta mostoufii is not really assigned to the group of green lizards. The species is listed here solely because it was described in a time when everything still was Lacerta. Even the existence of Lacerta mostoufii is still unclear.
The current structure within the group of green lizards (subgenus Lacerta s. str.) has evolved in recent decades. The concept founded in 1962 by PETERS devided the group of lizards into five species (Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Lacerta schreiberi, Lacerta strigata, Lacerta trilineata).
Due to the splitting of Lacerta viridis into Lacerta viridis and Lacerta bilineata (RYKENA 1991, AMANN et al. 1997) and the subdivision of Lacerta trilineata into Lacerta trilineata, Lacerta pamphylica and Lacerta media (PETERS 1964, SHMIDTLER 1975, 1986), Lacerta citrovittata and Lacerta diplochondrodes (KORNILIOS et al. 2019) there are now ten species representing this group. These ten species are again divided in three sister groups (Lacerta agilis group, Lacerta viridis group, and Lacerta trilineata group.)
The Lacerta agilis group (sand lizards) count eleven subspecies, divided into a western subspecies group ( L. a. agilis, L. a. argus, L. a. bosnica, L. a. chersonensis ) and an eastern subspecies group ( L. a. exigua, L. a. boemica, L. a. grusinica, L. a. brevicaudata, L. a. ioriensis, L. a. mzymtensis, L. a. tauridica ).
Assigned to the Lacerta viridis group are; the Eastern Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis ) with the subspecies L. v. viridis, L. v. guentherpetersi, L. v. infrapunctata, L. v. meridionalis, L. v. paphlagonica , the Western Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata ) with the subspecies L. b. bilineata L. b. chloronota, L. b. chlorosecunda, L. b. fejervaryi, the Iberian Green Lizard (Lacerta schreiberi) and the Striped Green Lizard (Lacerta strigata ).
The Lacerta trilineata group includes the European Giant Green Lizard (Lacerta trilineata), the Cyclades Giant Green Lizard (Lacerta citrovittata), the East-Aegean Giant Emerald Lizard (Lacerta diplochondrodes), the Pamphylian Green Lizard (Lacerta pamphylica ) and the Eastern Giant Green Lizard (Lacerta media ).
Lacerta trilineata is divided into four subspecies (L. t. trilineata, L. t. hansschweizeri, L. t. major, L. t. polylepidota). The East-Aegean Giant Emerald (Lacerta diplochondrodes) also includes four subspecies (L. d. diplochondrodes, L. d. cariensis, L. d. dobrogica, L. d. galatiensis). Lizard From the Eastern Giant Green Lizard (Lacerta media) five subspecies are described; (L. m. media, L. m. ciliciensis, L. m. isaurica, L. m. israelica, L. m. wolterstorffi).
In recent years genetic methods have become increasingly important, and triggered many discussions. Some of these results are partly in contradiction to the traditional taxonomy. For example Lacerta pamphylica (in contrary to all expectations) is almost identical to Lacerta trilineata citrovittata (MAYER, W. 2012 pers. com.). It remains to be seen whether and to what extent the current structure will be changed.
SIEGFRIED TROIDL, 2015
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Linnaeus, C. (1758) - Description of Lacerta agilis and Lacerta algira (= Psammodromus algirus). - In: Systema naturae pr regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, 10th Edition. pp. 203.  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.  × DNA sequence indicates the Lacertidae contain two subfamilies, Gallotiinae and Lacertinae, the latter comprising two
monophyletic tribes, the Eremiadini of Africa and arid southwest and central Asia, and the Lacertini of Europe, northwest
Africa and southwest and east Asia. Relationships within the 108 species of Lacertini are explored using mtDNA
(291 bp cytochrome b; 329 bp 12S rRNA for 59 nominal species, and reanalysis of the data of Harris et al. 1998, and Fu
2000). The morphology of the tribe is reviewed and 64 of its characters (equivalent to 83 binary ones) also used to assess
relationships. The Lacertini are assigned to 19 monophyletic units of 1 to 27 species, recognised here as the following
genera (contents are indicated in brackets): Algyroides, Anatololacerta gen. nov. (L. danfordi group), Apathya (L. cappadocica
group), Archaeolacerta (L. bedriagae), Dalmatolacerta gen. nov. (L. oxycephala), Darevskia (L. saxicola group),
Dinarolacerta gen. nov. (L. mosorensis), Hellenolacerta gen. nov. (L. graeca), Iberolacerta (L. monticola group), Iranolacerta
gen. nov. (L. brandtii and L. zagrosica), Lacerta s. str. (sand and green lizards, L. agilis group), Parvilacerta gen.
nov. (L. parva and L. fraasii), Phoenicolacerta gen. nov. (L. laevis group), Podarcis (wall lizards), Scelarcis (L. perspicillata),
Takydromus (Asian grass lizards), Teira (L. dugesii), Timon (ocellated lizards, L. lepida group) and Zootoca (L.
vivipara). Both mtDNA and morphology indicate that Lacerta and Timon are sister taxa, and DNA suggests further possible
relationships among genera (Fig. 1, p. 6). Neither DNA nor morphology indicates that the archaeolacertas (sometimes
formalised as Archaeolacerta sens. lat.) form a clade. Instead, they are representatives of an ecomorph associated
with living on rock exposures and using the narrow crevices that these contain.
The Lacertidae probably arose in the European area, with the Gallotiinae later reaching Northwest Africa and the
Canary Islands, and the ancestor of the Eremiadini invading Africa in the mid-Miocene. The Lacertini spread through
much of their present European range and diversified, perhaps largely by repeated vicariance, around 12–16 My ago,
producing the ancestors of the present mainly small-bodied genera, which then underwent often modest speciation. Three
units spread more widely: the Lacerta-Timon clade of large-bodied lizards probably dispersed earliest, followed by Algyroides
and then Podarcis. Overall, European Lacertidae show a pattern of repeated spread, often accompanied by restriction
of previous groups. Expansion of Lacertini may have displaced earlier lacertid lineages from all or much of Europe;
while spread of Podarcis may have restricted many other genera of Lacertini. The earlier expansion of the Lacerta-Timon
clade probably did not have this effect, as difference in adult body size restricted competitive interaction with other
forms. Several invasions of more distant areas also occurred: of East Asia by Takydromus over 10 My ago, and more
recently of northwest Africa by Podarcis, Scelarcis and Timon, and Madeira by Teira.
Relationships within the Eremiadini estimated from both mtDNA, and nDNA differ considerably from those based
on morphology. They indicate relatively mesic forms may have diversified widely across Africa and given rise to at least
three independent invasions of arid habitats. MtDNA also indicates that Lacerta andreanskyi belongs in the Eremiadini
and may occupy a basal position there. It is assigned to a further new genus, Atlantolacerta gen. nov.
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