Preservation of Nature -Slovakia

On 23th of October 2009, Post of Slovakia issued stamp series of protected animal which found in Slovakia. There species are the Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) and the European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis). Both stamps have same face value.

The Fire Salamander is a biggest salamander, measuring up to 20 centimetres in Slovakia and 30 centimetres in Europe. It has a wide head and robust cylindrical body ended by a tail. Its smooth skin has a number of pores through which it can discharge secretions from its poison glands, an action which is suggested by its alerting colour. It has a black body covered with a number of yellow-orange spots of varying size. Fire Salamander active at night and prefer deciduous, in particular, oak and beech forests on foothills or mountains. During the day salamanders like to hide in fallen leafs, under tree trunks or stones, in burrows of other mammals, and various clefts. Fire Salamanders occur throughout Europe, except Scandinavia, the British Isles, and the Mediterranean islands. They can also be found in Turkey and North Africa. The eastern border of their occurrence is delineated by the Carpathian range.The Fire Salamander is a protected species throughout Europe, including Slovakia.

The European Pond Turtle has a slightly curved shell. The upper part of the shell (the carapace) is up to 30 centimetres long, and is brown-black with many small whitish or yellow spots. The lower shell (the plastron) is yellow-white to light-brown and has variably dark (usually black) markings. The turtle’s skin on its limbs, tail, neck and the greater part of head is covered by scutes. It has five digits on the front feet, and four digits fused into paddles for swimming with sharp claws on its back feet. European Pond Turtles usually occur in still water or muddy and overgrown streams in lower altitudes.The turtles can remain submerged for long periods due to their strong breathing apparatus which consists of anal gland and oral cavity mucosa that can absorb oxygen from the water. European Pond Turtles are mostly carnivorous, usually feeding on insects, fish, crustaceans, earthworms, and amphibians, sometimes also dead animals, and their diet also includes vegetation.European Pond Turtles are found in Southern and Central Europe, Western Asia, and North Western Africa. In Slovakia they only occur within a few isolated areas of the Eastern and Western lowlands. In Slovakia, it is a critically endangered animal which is subject to the highest degree of protection.

Nature Conservation of Slovakia- Scarcest orchid.

In relation with theme of Nature Conservation, Slovakia Post Office issued the stamp series of the scarcest orchid family, Ophrys apifera (Bee orchid) , and Cypripedioidae calceolus (Lady’s Slipper orchid). T2 100 g of stamp depicted Cypripedioidae calceolus and T2 500 g of stamp depicted Ophrys apifera .

Ophrys apifera is the only representative of this genus capable of self-pollination, which means that it does not need to attract insects and rely on pollinators. The occurrence of Ophrys apifera in Slovakia is rare represent the flower’s most northern habitats. Ophrys apifera usually grows in the warmer parts of Western Slovakia, in meadows and shrubby slopes, thin forests and typically on limy soils which extend from lowlands to upland ranges. In Slovakia, this genus is represented by five species The Ophrys apifera or Bee orchid population declined due to to the destruction of biotopes and overgrowing. In addition to the conservation of individual localities, the species is also protected by law and listed in the Slovak Red List of Plants and Animals and subject to conservation under the CITES convention.

Cypripedioidae calceolus measures up to 60 cm with a creeping rootstalk, from which a stem sprouts with 3-5 alternate and 4-7 cm wide lanceolate leaves.This genus is to be found in Asia and North America, comprising about 20 species.The species can usually be found on the foothills or mountains of Northern Slovakia. Cypripedioidae calceolus prefers limy soils, deciduous forests, especially oak and beech, but it may also, though rarely, occur in conifer forests, edges of forests, and shrubby hillsides. The flower is also threatened by the destruction of biotopes and changes in the wood composition of forests.The species listed in the Red Slovak Red List of Plants and Animals, and subject to conservation based on the CITES convention.

The Forest Fruits of Slovakia

Slovakia Post issued the stamp series of the forest fruit on 14th of September 2000. The depicted fruits are billberry on 15 sk, common strawberry on 13 sk, and wild raspberry on 11 sk..

Bilberry - Vaccinium myrtillus L.

The bilberry is a low, densely ramified bush with egg-shaped deciduous leaves, round rosily flowers and black-blue fruits (berries). It grows widely in the submontane to alpine level sour rock beds in forests, mountain pines, on grassless mountains, heathlands and peateries. For healing effects the leaves containing tanning substances and glucokinins, are gathered. They reduce the sugar level in the blood. The fruits - bilberries - belong to the healthiest kinds of fruits with the wide use possibilities. They contain colouring substances — antokyans, C vitamin, B complex and A provitamin.

Common Strawberry - Fragaria vesca L.

The common strawberry largely grows in the entire country in light forests and shrubby hillsides from the lowlands to the sub-alpine level. . The common strawberry is extended in the entire central Europe. Already in the antics the strawberries were gathered as forest fruits suitable for preparation of syrups and jams. The fresh fruits are a healthy and nutritious delicacy. The young leaves are within living memory used for the preparation of a daily tea for the purposes of the folk healing. They contain tanning substances, C vitamin and flavonoids.

Wild raspberry - Rubus idaeus L.

The wild raspberry is a bush, which is widely extended in light forests, in glades, in shrubbery and meadow forests from lowlands to mountain localities. It belongs to the honey-bearing plants, it provides the bees with much nectar and bloom. The seeds were found already in lake neolitic dwellings, what testifies to its old use by a man. The fruits contain fruit acids and sugars, they are processed to syrup. The leaves are used after fermentation for the preparation of tea with a cleaning effect, they are the part of several industrially produced healing tea mixtures. They contain mainly tanning substances, flavones and a smaller quantity of C vitamin.

The Largest Carnivore Animal of Slovakia

Slovakia issued the stamp series depicted the largest carnivore animal such as Lynx, Common Wolf, and Brown Bear. The stamp issued on July 2001 in one set comprises of 3 pieces stamps and one souvenir sheet composed of the set of stamps.

Lynx.

Lynx is the largest European cat, heavily built, quadratic body with long legs is 80 - 115 cm long, 55 -70 cm tall, weighting 15-30 kg. Lynx’s fur is thick, rusty grey-yellow with dark brown spots. The bottom of its body and chin are whitish, ear tufts and the end of a short tail are black. Lynx has striking black stripes on its cheeks. Lynx is active mostly at dusk and at night, its territory covers up to 30 km2. It is solitary, making couples only during the mating period. The cubs reach sexual maturity after 2 years, and they live about 16-18 years.

Common Wolf (Cam’s lupus L.)

A large carnivore from the dog family..The length of body in grown-up individuals reaches 120 - I5O cm, height in shoulders 65 - 80 cm, and weight 30 - 50 (65) kg. Its fur coat is predominantly grey, sometimes with a rusty-brown shade. being darker at the back and paler at the bottom. Wolf hunts by chasing a prey, mostly ungulates (deer, roe deer, wild boar), and it occasionally feeds on carcasses. Wolf cubs reach sexual maturity at the end of second year, and they live 14 - 16 years.

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos L.)

Brown Bear is the largest European carnivore. Brown Bear live in forests of northern and central Slovakia, 700 - 1500 meters above the sea level. Their robust body is 150 - 220 cm long, it measures 90 - 125 cm in height, and weights 150 - 350 kg. Coloration of fur varies from fair brown to dark brown; cubs have a light strip on their neck. Bear is omnivorous, and active in the evening and at night, its territory covers 15 - 30 km". Brown Bear is solitary and can live about 30 years.

The Snow Crane of China.

China post released the stamps featured the Snow Crane (Grus leucogeranus) on year 1986 in one souvenir sheet depicted a flying group of the Snow crane and one set comprised of 3 pieces special gold painted stamps depicted body part of the bird.

The Snow Crane, also known as the Siberian White Crane is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.This is a large white crane, typically 4.9-8.6 kg , 140 cm and 210–230 cm across the wings. Large males can exceed 152 cm and weigh over 10 kg . All white colour except for a dark red mask extending from the bill to behind the eye and black primary wing feathers. It has a yellow iris and reddish legs. The male is slightly larger than the female. Juveniles have a feathered mask and buff or cinnamon plumage. The voice is flute-like and musical.

The Snow Crane breeds in arctic Russia in Yakutia and western Siberia. They have migrated to long distance area and categorized as a long distance migrant bird. The eastern population winters on the Yangtze River and Lake Poyang in China.

The status of the Snow crane is critical, with only 20 in the wild at last count. The world population is estimated to be around 3,200.

Smyril on Foroyar Stamp

The Merlin is the smallest of the European species of falcon.The size is 30 cm length and has the wingspan of 60 cm.The weight of female up to 210 gram, and the male less of the female around 50 gram.The Faroese name for the merlin is Smyril.

The Merlin distributed in Faroe Islands only 50 merlin pairs till now.The population now increasingly after a steep decline in the last century. The Merlin mostly hunts in the open areas whereas they can caught object on the ground by the high-speed surprise attack the objects.

Tourism Birds of Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands released the stamp set comprises of 4 pieces stamps depicted birds as known well as tourism birds of Falkland Islands on year 2006. The bird species are Penguin, Cormorrant, Albatross. A Gentoo Penguin chicks depicted on 25 p stamp, and A King Cormmorrant depicted on 25 p stamp, A King Penguin depicted on 60 p stamp, and A Wandering Albatross depicted on 60p stamp.

Protected Wild life of China on stamps

China is a country with the greatest variety of wild animals in the world. The Wild life is a part of the harmony of the human life which will a value gift of Nature to humans. In order to keep the balance of ecology and save the endangered animal, in 1989 China Government issued the list of wild animal which have to be protected and establish nature reserves. To appeal this program China Post issue the special stamps as shown above “Key Wild Animal Under First-Grade State Protection (I)”

Ferns on Malaysia stamps.

Malaysia Post Issued stamps series of Ferns on stamp set and souvenir sheet on year 2010. The stamps featured many type of fern available in Malaysia, like : Sakat sakat (Asplenium nidus), Matonia pectinata, Bua cek (Dipteris conjugata) depicted on souvenir sheet, and other type like : Tunjuk Langit (Helminthoslachys zeylanica), Paku miding (Stenochloena palustris), Tanduk rusa (Platycerium coranarium), Resam, Paku Sungai (Diplazium esculentum) depicted on the set of 5 individual stamps.

Dogs At Work.

The domestic dog has been the most widely kept working, hunting and companion animal in human history. Dogs have lived and worked with humans in so many roles such as hunting, herding, protection, assisting police and military, companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals. Therefore dogs have the unique nickname, "man's best friend”. Currently, there are estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.

Dogs of several breeds are considered as working dogs that include in human activities in terms of helping out humans. The working dogs are trained properly and accordingly to the activities they will perform. Yet, despite the size of some dogs they are sometimes used as pets as well. However, they generally require special training and owners might have to learn how to bind with their pet, in these cases.

Isle of man Post Offices issued the above stamp depicted the working dogs are Labrador, Border Collie, Dalmatian. Mongrel, English Setter and Alsatian.

Formica Rufa on Belarus stamps 2002

Belarus Postal Administration issued the stamp series of ants. One stamp and one souvenir sheet on 2002. The species described is Formica rufa.

Formica rufa is highly polygynous and often re-adopts post-nuptial queens from its own mother colony, leading to old, multi gallery nests which may contain well over a hundred egg-producing females. These colonies can often measure several metres in height and diameter. Formica rufa is aggressively territorial, and will often attack and remove other ant species from the area.

Formica rufa, known as the southern wood ant or horse ant, is a boreal member of the Formica rufa group of ants, commonly found throughout much of Europe in both coniferous and broad-leaf broken woodland and parkland. Workers can measure 8–10 mm in length. Workers show considerable polymorphism and it has been noted that larger individuals forage further away from the nest.

Fresh water Fish of Vietnam

Vietnam Post  has issued the stamp set features fresh-water fish in 7 (seven) pieces of different value stamps. The depicted species  are Brachy danio rerio, Trichogester trichopterus, Macropodus opercularis, Gymnocorymbus ternetzi, Hyphessobrycon serpae, Labeo bicolor, and Betta splendens on 1984.

Brachy danio rerio or the zebra- fish, is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is a popular aquarium fish, with the trade name zebra danio. The zebra fish is native to the streams of the southeastern Himalayan region, including the countries Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar. The fish has horizontal blue stripes on the side of the body extended to the end of the caudal fin. Its shape is fusiform and laterally compressed, with its mouth directed upwards.
Brachy danio rerio can grow to 6.4 centimetres .Life-span in captivity is around 2–3 years, although in ideal conditions, may extend to 5 years. Brachy danio rerio are hardy fish and considered good for beginner aquarists. Brachy danio rerio is omnivorous and primarily eats zooplankton, insects and insect larvae, and phytoplankton. Most of them accept common food flakes and tubifex worms in the aquarium.

Trichogaster trichopterus or The three spot gourami, , is a labyrinth fish. The natural coloration of this fish gets its name from the two spots along each side of its body in line with the eye, considered the third spot. These fish live in marshes, swamps, canals, and lowland wetlands. Trichogaster trichopterus are endemic to the Mekong basin in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and Yunnan in Asia. They migrate during the flood season from permanent water bodies to flooded areas, such as seasonally flooded forests in the middle and lower Mekong. These fish is an omnivore, feed on zooplankton, crustaceans and insect larvae.

Macropodus opercularis or the paradise fish or paradise gouramis, are small freshwater labyrinth fish found in ditches and paddy fields in East Asia, ranging from the Korean Peninsula to Northern Vietnam. Macropodus opercularis are fairly combative, harassing and attacking each other as well as potentially killing small fish. In the wild, they are predators, eating insects, invertebrates and fish fry. 

These small fish (about 10 cm) are ideal lone inhabitants of aquariums. This species is one of the few fish that can change its colour (lighter or darker) in response to stimuli. Sexing is easy as males are more colourful and have longer fins compared to the females. Macropodus opercularis are tolerant of virtually any water conditions, surviving in cool and warm waters alike.

Gymnocorymbus ternetzi or the black tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family (family Characidae) of order Characiformes. It is native to the Paraguay and Guaporé River basins of southern Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia. Growing to about 6 cm total length, the black tetra has a roughly tetragonal body shape and is greyish in colour, fading from light at the nose to near black at the tail. Two prominent black vertical bars appear just posterior of the gills. It is a schooling fish, and requires at least 6 in a group. Gymnocorymbus ternetzi is an omnivore and will eat nearly anything it if can fit into its mouth. It will live in warm water 26 degrees C, needs soft, acid water, pH 6.5-6.8, with plenty of plants.

Hyphessobrycon Serpae or Serpae tetras are one species of the genus Hyphessobrycon. These South American tropical characids are popular aquarium fishes, often identified as Red Minor tetras. They are found in nature in the Madeira and Guaporé regions of the Amazon river, and in upper Paraguay. 

Hyphessobrycon Serpae prefer water temperatures ranging from 22-26°C. They will show off their best colours in soft, neutral to slightly acidic water. They thrive in large groups and should be kept in schools of at least 6-10 fish. The males are usually more slim and smaller than females.

Labeo bicolor or The Red-tailed black shark , is a species of fresh-water fish in the carp family, Cyprinidae. It is currently extinct in the wild, but common in aquaria, where it is prized for its deep black body and vivid red or orange tail. The species was endemic to Thailand, and was formerly found in the Chao Phraya basin, but is now extinct in the wild. Typically females will have a slightly grayish hue, while males are pure black.

Betta splendens or called the Siamese fighting fish, is a popular species of freshwater aquarium fish. Also known as the betta and simply as the fighter. The wild ancestors of this fish are native to the rice paddies of Thailand and Cambodia and are called "Fighting Fish “in Thai. It has nicknamed "The Jewel of the Orient" due to their beauty and wide range of colours. The natural coloration of Beta splendens is a dull green and brown, and the fins of wild specimens are relatively short. 

However, brilliantly coloured and longer finned varieties have been developed through selective breeding. Betta splendens usually grow to an overall length of about 5 cm and lives approximately 2–5 years in captivity. Betta splendens has upturned mouths and is primarily carnivorous surface feeders, although some vegetable matter may be eaten. The male betta will flare his gills, twist his body, and spread his fins, if interested in the female.

Spider on Tanzania stamps 1994

The Spider species on stamps has been issued by Tanzania on 1994. The Spider or order Aranea is air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except for Antarctica, and have become established in nearly every habitat with the exception of air and sea colonization. The stamps have featured Micrommata rosea, Micrathena, Araneus diadematus , Araneus,Trombidium, Eurylpelma and Salticus species.

Micrommata rosea, synonyms with Micrommata virescens, or called as “The green huntsman spider” is a spider of the family Sparassidae. Due to does not build a web, they have well camouflaged when hunts insects in green vegetation.

Micrathena is the spider genus which has more than hundred species, most of them Neotropical woodland orb-weavers.

Araneus diadematus or the European garden spider lives in Western Europe, North America, and New England. Individual spiders' colouring can range from extremely light yellow to very dark grey, but all this spiders have mottled markings across the back with five or more large white dots forming a cross. The third pair of legs of garden spiders is specialized for assisting in the spinning of orb webs. These spiders also use them to move around on their web without getting stuck. These legs are useful only in the web and its contrary if they are in the ground.

Araneus is a genus of orb-weaving spiders including the European garden spider and the barn spider. In females, the epigyne has a long scape (a tongue-like appendage). Male pedipals have a hook-like terminal apophysys. Abdominal tubercles are present anterolaterally.

Trombidium is a genus of mite that divided in to 30 species. The best known is the Palearctic T. holosericeum. Mites caused several forms of allergic diseases, including hay fever, asthma and eczema and are known to aggravate atopic dermatitis. Mites are usually found in warm and humid locations, including beds. It is thought that inhalation of mites during sleep exposes the human body to some antigens that eventually induce hypersensitivity reaction. Dust mite allergens are thought to be among the heaviest dust allergens.

Eurypelma sp is Tarantula species.The most common North American tarantula is Eurypelma californicum, which is found in California, Texas, and Arizona. A 30-year life span has been recorded for one individual of this species.

Salticus is a spider genus of the Salticidae family (jumping spiders).It is typically marked with a black and white pattern, with some featuring transverse stripes, often gaining them the popular name "zebra spiders". Mature males have very long chelicerae on which they rest their long, thin pedipalps. Females are from 3.5 to 7 mm long, males up to 5 mm. Salticus are often found on rocks and tree trunks, where the sun can reach. This species distributed in the Mediterranean region, South Asia, South Africa.