The term “pitavola” is used in Andorra to refer to butterflies. Around 150 species of daytime butterflies are known in Andorra, while the catalog of the Comapedrosa Natural Park includes about 80, such as the reddish ringlet, the Apollo, or the variable fritillary, considered “threatened” in Andorra.
Since 2006, the park has hosted a monitoring station for daytime butterflies as part of the BMSAnd (Andorran Butterfly Monitoring Scheme) network. Daytime butterflies are in clear decline due to, among other causes, climate change and the disappearance of open natural habitats.
The Pallaresa lizard is one of the most interesting and at the same time most threatened faunal species in Andorra. It was described in 1994 by the herpetologist Òscar Arribas, and in 2002 a study was carried out on its distribution in Andorra, where 33 populations were identified, divided into four metapopulations (Sorteny, Tristaina, Comapedrosa and Angonella), all above 2.288 m in altitude.
The chamois is a bovid found exclusively in the Pyrenean and Cantabrian mountain ranges, and in the Apennines. It is one of the most emblematic animals of the Andorran high mountains and is a highly valued game species. Both sexes have horns, unlike deer and mouflon, in which only the males bear them. The Andorran population is estimated at 1,375 individuals (2024 data), and the number of individuals recorded in the park has varied annually between 16 and 90 (2007–2024 data).
The sculpture, made with a mixed technique of hollow work to create volume, was built with 6 mm stainless steel rods, 3mm stainless steel sheet, and 2mm corten sheet for the neck.
Corten is an iron alloy that acquires the brownish color of oxidation.
The bearded vulture rests on the branch with both feet. The branch is made of 30mm solid iron, and the entire sculpture is hollow work based on the animal’s outline, to obtain a 3D shape.
The finish of the stainless steel is matte and polished to harmonize the colors.
Jordi Illamola – Sculptor
The bearded vulture is a species of vulture. Its name comes from its habit of carrying bones and shells to great heights and dropping them onto rocks to crack them open and eat the marrow inside once they have shattered.
This large vulture has distinctive characteristics such as the absence of bare areas on the head, neck, and chest, narrow and angular wings, and a wedge-shaped tail. It is considered “Endangered” in Andorra, where there is only one breeding pair.
The Pyrenean newt is an urodela amphibian endemic to the Pyrenees. It lives mainly in streams of clean, cold water, although it can adapt to ponds, brooks, lakes, and even livestock troughs. It measures about 15 cm in length. The back is brown, often with a yellow longitudinal line, and the belly is orange. Unlike other species of newts, the adult does not have a crest on its back or tail.
It is quite aquatic, but outside the breeding season it can also be found out of the water. It moves more by walking along the bottom than by swimming.
Threatened fauna species
