Saint-Marin 2023 Brillant Universel Protection de la faune

Saint-Marin 2023 Brillant Universel (Protection de la faune)

Caractéristiques

Emetteur	Saint-Marin
Atelier monétaire	Rome
Date	2023
Quantité émise	8000
Numéro	N# S45

Description

The Republic of San Marino legally protects its native wildlife. Among the most fascinating species found in its territory is the Italian Cave Salamander (Speleomantes italicus), a small amphibian resembling a salamander, known for its unusual cave-dwelling habits.

Lungless and uniquely adapted to its environment, it emerges only on cool, damp, and rainy nights, using its long projectile tongue to hunt small prey. This species, endemic to the Apennines, is highly localized. Its camouflaged coloring—a blend of brown, ochre, and reddish blotches—makes it extremely difficult to spot in the wild.

In San Marino, however, this elusive creature emerges from the underground labyrinths of Mount Titano like nowhere else, often seen wandering—shrouded in mist—across the city’s stone walls and surfaces.

Thanks to its distinctive traits, the Italian Cave Salamander became a beloved character in school booklets and was chosen as the mascot of the 2017 Games of the Small States of Europe. San Marino has previously honored it with a postal stamp issue.