| Philatelic Bureaux |
| Contact us When composing an e-mail to us, remove the 'xxx' in the front of the e-mail address before posting. Why?  |
02.02.2004
First Day Cover: Interesting predators on stamps The definitive stamps for 2004 will bring us out into the forest and depict three predators: the red fox, the pine marten and the ermine. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is one of the most widely spread predators in the world. It is found in all of Europe and Asia as well as in North and Central America, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. The fox lives in different kinds of environments, in the mountains and forests as well as in more urban areas. The Pine marten (Martes martes) is a mid-sized predator found in most parts of Europe and central Asia. The number of pine martens increased when the fox scabies ravaged in Scandinavia. The pine marten thrives in forests, especially in really old ones. The ermine (Mustela erminea) is a curious marten found in all of Europe (except around the Mediterranean and on Iceland) and in Asia. In Åland it is extremely rare and is absolutely worth protecting. The ermine likes different kinds of habitats, from beach environments to areas above the tree line. In winter the ermines in the north get a beautiful white coat, while the ones down south keep their brown fur.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
