East of the Dnieper and north of the Caucasus, extending eastward to Lake Baikal, Lake Issyk-Kul, and northwestern China; also occurring in Transcaucasia, along the Caucasian Black Sea coast, and in the adjacent coastal regions of northeastern Turkey. 

Subspecies:

Lacerta agilis exigua  EICHWALD, 1831

Synonyms:

Lacerta exigua  EICHWALD, 1831

Lacerta sylvicola  EVERSMANN, 1834

Lacerta viridis var. colchica  EICHWALD, 1837

Lacerta dilepis  LICHTENSTEIN, 1856

Lacerta doniensis  BEDRIAGA, 1874

Lacerta agilis var. orientalis  KESSLER, 1878

Lacerta paradoxa  BEDRIAGA, 1886

Lacerta agilis var. altaica  KASCHENKO, 1899

Lacerta agilis var. kurtuana  KASCHENKO, 1909

Lacerta agilis brevicaudata  PETERS, 1958

Lacerta agilis grusinica  PETERS, 1960

Lacerta agilis mzymtensis  TUNIYEV et TUNIYEV, 2008

Lacerta agilis caucasica  SUCHOW, 1927 (part.)

Lacerta europaea  PALLAS, 1814 (part.)

Types:

Holotype: unlocated fide I. Doronin (pers. comm., Nov 2018)

Terra Typica:

Type locality: Russia, Ural Mountains


Relevant taxonomic literature:

  • Eichwald, E. (1831) -  Erstbeschreibung Lacerta (agilis) exigua. -  In: Zoologia specialis, quam expositis animalibus tum vivis, tum fossilibus potissimuni rossiae in universum, et poloniae in specie, in usum lectionum publicarum in Universitate Caesarea Vilnensi.- Amphibians-Reptiles part: 116-197.   

  • Bischoff, W. (1988) -  Zur Verbreitung und Systematik der Zauneidechse, Lacerta agilis LINNAEUS, 1758. -  Mertensiella, Bonn, 1: 11-30.  

  • Zinenko, O.I. & Drabkin, P.L. & Rudyk, O.M. (2005) -  Contact zone between two subspecies of the Sand Lizard: Lacerta agilis exigua Eichw., 1831 and Lacerta agilis chersonensis Andr., 1832 in three regions of the Left-Bank Ukraine.  -  In: Ananjeva N. & O. Tsinenko (eds.): Herpetologia Petropolitana. Proceedings of the 12th Ordinary General Meeting of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica, August 12–16, 2003, St. Petersburg, Russian Journal of Herpetology, 12 (Suppl.): 109-112.   

  • Doronina, M.A. & Doronin, I.V. & Lukonina, S.A. & Mazanaeva, L.F. & Lotiev, K.Yu. & Ananjeva, N.B. (2023) -  Application of DNA Barcoding to the Study of Green Lizards (Sauria: Lacertidae: Lacerta). -  Genetika, 59 (3): 345-355.  

    М. А. Доронина, И. В. Доронин, С. А. Луконина, Л. Ф. Мазанаева, К. Ю. Лотиев, Н. Б. Ананьева (2023) -  ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ ДНК-ШТРИХКОДИРОВАНИЯ ДЛЯ ИЗУЧЕНИЯ ЗЕЛЕНЫХ ЯЩЕРИЦ (Sauria: Lacertidae: Lacerta) -  ГЕНЕТИКА, 59 (3): 345-355.    

  • Doronin I.V. & Doronina M.A. & Milto K.D. & Lotiev K.Yu. & Lukonina S.A. & Mazanaeva L.F. (2026) -  Genetic Variation, Phylogeography and Systematics of Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758 (Lacertidae, Sauria). -  Russian Journal оf Zoology, 105 (9): 66–101.  

    Доронин И. В., Доронина М. А., Мильто К. Д., Лотиев К. Ю., Луконина С. А., Мазанаева Л. Ф. (2026) -  Генетическая изменчивость, филогеография и систематика прыткой ящерицы, Lacerta agilis Linnaeus, 1758 (Lacertidae, Sauria). -  ООЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ ЖУРНАЛ, 105 (9): 66–101.