Nature Protection: Šumava - UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Catalogue number	A0691
Date of issue	31.8.2011
Face value	62 CZK
Print sheets	4 stamps + 4 coupons (se-tenant)
Size of picture	118 x 170 mm
Graphic designer	Libuše and Jaromír Knotek
Engraver	Martin Srb
Printing method	recess print from flat plate in black combined with multicoloured offset

The importance of the Šumava National Park and Protected Landscape Area grew in 1990 with the declaration of a biosphere reserve (part of the UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme) covering almost the entire Šumava region and the neighbouring Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany. The Šumava Biosphere Reserve is to preserve the typical Šumava landscape and all of its traditional elements including the way of its cultivation. The biosphere reserve is located in the mountain area along the Austrian and Bavarian borders with the Czech Republic. The entire region was affected by human activities (such as gold mining, glass industry) and frequently used from as early as the 10th century. Šumava is also the last big central European area with an extensive way of using. The area abounds in ancient mountain forests, lakes of glacial origin, peat bogs, rivers and their canyons and similar values that have been preserved until the present day. Unlike the Šumava National Park with a higher percentage of forest (83.8%), forests (flower and acidophilic beech woods, mountain spruce woods, wetland pine woods) are present in more than 65% of the Šumava Biosphere Reserve. Local peat bogs are clearly the highlight of the area. The plains that cover the central part of Šumava at more than 1,000 meters above the sea level are also extensively used. The vast area is used as meadows or pasture land. A large number of rare animals, such as Northern birch mouse (Sicista betulina) or the imported Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), live in the area. Prominent wild birds include wood grouse (Tetrao urogallus) and black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). The Blanice river headwater area has the highest presence of freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) in the Czech Republic. The Šumava-UNESCO Biosphere Reserve miniature sheet is the final one of the present series of six sheets featuring Czech biosphere reserves.
Cat. number - 0691: Face value 10 CZK - Tetrao urogallus, Turdus torquatus and Erebia euryale. Picture size: 50 x 40 mm
Cat. number - 0692: Face value 14 CZK - Colias palaeno Dactylorhiza traunsteineri. Picture size: 23 x 40 mm
Cat. number - 0693: Face value 18 CZK - Tetrao tetrix, Aeshna juncea and Alces alces. Picture size: 50 x 40 mm
Cat. number - 0694:Face value 20 CZK - Lynx lynx and Picoides tridactylus. Picture size: 50 x 40 mm

Do You like it? You can order it here 

Young Animals - Cricetus Cricetus

Catalogue number	0688
Date of issue	15.6.2011
Face value	10 CZK
Print sheets	á 50 pcs of stamps
Size of picture	23 x 40 mm
Graphic designer	Libuše a Jaromír Knotkovi
Engraver Printing method	Martin Srb multicoloured offset

The European hamster (Cricetus Cricetus) is a species of hamsters relative to voles. Some authors classify hamsters, voles and mice as a single family.
The European hamster is a medium-sized, stout-bodied animal with short legs. The tail is short and furred. It is often taken for a marmot, but unlike a marmot, the European hamster is more colourful, with yellow to orange brown dorsal fur with black ends, and a dark brown to black chest and belly. The top head fur is reddish, with white or yellow patches behind the ears and on the nose (and on the front legs). The animal changes its rather thick coat colour once a year. Other prominent features include very large cheek poaches, and flank glands of males that are much larger during the breeding season. 
The European hamster is a nocturnal species. It is an excellent runner and jumper. It lives in separate burrows, consisting of tunnels 6-8 cm in diameter, nesting chamber, hibernating chamber, food and storage chambers and droppings chamber. It can burrow as deep as 2 meters in winter months when it hibernates. Females usually have 2-5 litters each year. The gestation period is 20 days, and the size of the litter ranges from 3 to 12 young. 
The European hamster's diet consists of grains, seeds, plants, insects and baby young nesting birds. 
It is native to a large area extending from south-west Siberia (the Yenisey river) to Belgium and north-east France. It started spreading from its original habitat on steppes into central Europe during the extensive deforestation period, significantly earlier than marmots; its remains were found on neolithic archaeological sites dating back some 6-7 thousand years. In the Czech Republic it lives in an open landscape. Since the 1970-80s, when it has become almost extinct, especially in hills and mountains, its presence has been steadily increasing, reaching very high levels in some regions (around the Labe River, in south Moravia, etc.), although its occurrence in areas more than 500-600 meters above the sea level is rather rare.


Do You like it? You can order it here