The Principality of Andorra dedicates a stamp to the Pyrenean tritó as part of the Europa series. All the member countries of PostEurop participate in this series, each of them presenting a stamp with their own design, but with a common theme. This year, the chosen theme is underwater flora and fauna and all the participating countries are voting for the best stamp.
The issue is dedicated to the Pyrenean triton (Calotriton asper) which is found on both sides of the Pyrenean and pre-Pyrenean mountain ranges and can therefore be found in Spain, France and Andorra. Its habitat is an aquatic environment. Endemic to the Pyrenees, it can be found in mountain lakes, streams and underground caves, among others, and requires cold, clean, oxygenated water. It is an eco-indicator of purity, sustainability and viability of natural ecosystems. They usually settle at altitudes of between 1,000 and 2,000 metres, and can colonise up to an astonishing 3,000 metres.
Its diet is insectivorous, hunting on the prowl, mainly aquatic fauna and, to a lesser extent, terrestrial fauna.
This beautiful amphibian, 12 cm long, of which the tail represents half of its length, dazzles us with its spectacular brown colouring with yellow spots on the back and belly, which are slightly paler, becoming orange in males in their inexorable breeding season.
They generally remain in the water, moving along the bottom with their sturdy legs, and sometimes swimming, propelled by their energetic tail. Less frequently, they can be found outside the aquatic environment, walking on the surface. Their habits are crepuscular and nocturnal, waiting during the day hidden under stones or among plant debris. During the colder months, they remain in hibernation, reducing their body and metabolic activities. Their breeding period lasts from March to June. During this period, the male will mate with the female in deep areas with little current. The female will lay between fifteen and sixty eggs in calm areas of streams, in shallow water or sandy beds under shallow stones, requiring an optimum water temperature of twelve degrees Celsius. During larval development, metamorphosis will depend on the altitude of the colony, for two years at higher altitudes and one year at lower, warmer ones. At the end of this period, the fully-grown adult will need a further twenty months to reach sexual maturity. Highly endangered, this delicate and unique animal is in decline due to the loss of its untamed habitats and the use of pesticides that pollute its ecosystem. Despite being protected by law, the conservation and total well-being of this small animal is also in our hands.
