Red Fox Forever Stamp 2023
40?? Red Fox Stamp: A Tribute to Wildlife Art
Purpose of the Stamp:
This 40?? stamp is primarily intended for bulk mailers, covering the rate for items like circulars, newsletters, and catalogs.
Stamp Design:
Featuring a pencil-and-watercolor illustration of a red fox by renowned wildlife artist Dugald Stermer (1936-2011), this stamp showcases Stermer's distinctive calligraphy, depicting both the common name "red fox" and the scientific name "Vulpes vulpes." The stamp is available in both sheet and coil formats.
First Day City:
Issued in Fox, Arkansas, this stamp did not have a First Day of Issue Ceremony.
Historical and Natural Significance:
The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest species of fox and is widespread across the Northern Hemisphere. While commonly known for their reddish fur, red foxes can also exhibit various color morphs including leucistic (white) and melanistic (black). Typically, red foxes in northern regions are larger than those in the south.
With their elongated, narrow heads, red foxes possess keen senses of hearing and smell, enabling them to detect small rodents from considerable distances. Capable of reaching speeds up to 30 miles per hour and leaping over six-foot obstacles, these foxes are agile and proficient swimmers.
Living in family groups within shared territories, red foxes are monogamous, choosing a single mate for life. Breeding occurs once annually in the spring, with vixens giving birth to four to six kits after a gestation period of 49-58 days. Newborn kits are blind, deaf, toothless, and covered in dark brown fur, which changes as they mature, reaching adulthood around six to seven months of age. If resources are plentiful, young adults may remain in their natal territory to assist in raising the next generation.
This stamp not only serves a practical postal purpose but also celebrates the natural beauty and intricate behaviors of the red fox, immortalized through the artwork of Dugald Stermer.
