Italy, also thanks to its great variety of ecosystems, is home to over a third of the fauna found across Europe and half of the continent's plant species. Despite the scarcity of large animals and the extermination carried out against various species, the peninsula still hosts 500 species of birds, 100 of terrestrial mammals and 6,711 plant varieties, not counting its rich herpetological diversity.

Our country can boast a high level of endemism, meaning animals and plants that live exclusively within Italian borders. The best time to observe wildlife usually coincides with sunset, when shadows lengthen and animals reclaim the spaces they must cede to humans during the day.

Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata)

It is considered by researchers to be "the most beautiful chamois in the world" and is an Italian endemic subspecies. The survival of this gentle lord of the crags hung by an extremely fine thread that nearly snapped: at the beginning of the twentieth century, just over thirty individuals survived in an area known as "la camosciara", which would later become the Abruzzo National Park. A particularly harsh winter or an epidemic would have been enough to wipe out this species forever and deprive our mountains of these magnificent animals. Fortunately, that did not happen, and thanks to the Life coornata project, new colonies have been established. Today there are over two thousand Apennine chamois, present in the national parks of Abruzzo Lazio e Molise, Gran Sasso Monti e della Laga, Majella, Monti Sibillini and Sirente Velino — the five protected areas involved in the project.

Spectacled salamander (Salamandrina terdigitata)

Found throughout peninsular Italy, from Liguria to Calabria, this small amphibian is characterised by a yellowish patch situated between its eyes, resembling a pair of spectacles. Given its rarity and biological value, the Italian Zoological Union has chosen it as its symbol. The spectacled salamander is not easy to spot: it is active exclusively at night or in cool, overcast weather, favouring the mossy banks of small streams.

Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus)

This magnificent mammal, as large as it is shy, is the symbol of the Abruzzo park, and is a subspecies genetically distinct from the bears of the Alps. It is an exclusive endemic of central Italy, and the estimated population stands at fifty individuals. The bear prefers wooded areas and feeds predominantly on plant matter. Should you be fortunate enough to encounter one, it is advisable to maintain a respectful attitude, avoiding agitation and loud noise. Although the Marsican brown bear is a non-aggressive species and, like all wild animals, wary of humans, one must never run towards the animal under any circumstances, so as to avoid triggering an unpredictable reaction.

Nebrodi fir (Abies nebrodensis)

There are 1,371 plants that grow spontaneously only in Italy. Almost 19 per cent of the national flora consists of endemic species; among these is the Nebrodi fir, a species that grows only in the mountains of the northern chain of Sicily. Believed to be extinct in the last century, the tree was rediscovered in 1957, in the Vallone Madonna degli Angeli on the Madonie, where around thirty individuals survive. This fir is classified as critically endangered on the Red List of the Iucn and has been included in the list of the 50 most threatened botanical species in the Mediterranean area.

Sicilian Apollo (Parnassius apollo siciliae)

Insects, with over 37,000 species, make up around 65 per cent of Italian fauna. Endemic butterflies and moths of Italy comprise almost two hundred species; among these is the Sicilian Apollo, a rare subspecies of the more common Apollo butterfly that lives exclusively on some of the highest peaks of the Madonie, a mountain massif situated in the northern part of Sicily. According to scientists, this species took refuge in the Sicilian Apennines during the last glaciation, differentiating itself from other species and giving rise to this rare endemic. The butterfly is characterised by white colouring with large red ocelli on the hindwings.