A postage stamp on the Nature Conservation Series “Ryukyu Rabbit” :

Issued by Japan

Issued on Aug 30, 1974

Issued for : As the 3^rd issue of the Nature Conservation Series, a special postage stamp depicting an Amami Rabbit (Pentalagus Furnessi) was brought out. The Amami Rabbits, primeval rabbits designated as natural monument in 1963, survive only in two islands, Amamioshima and Tokunoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture.

Design : Amami Rabbit (Pentalagus Furnessi)

Designer : Mr. Wakana Emori

Colour : Multicolour

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Denomination : 20 Yen

Printing Process : Photogravure & Engraved

About : 

• As the 3^rd of the Nature Conservation Series, a 20 yen postage stamp has been issued depicting “Amamis Black Hare” (Pentalagus furnessi).
• The black hare is now founded distributed only in the islands of Amami–oshima and Tokunoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture. The body being dark brown or grey black, it measures about 45 cm with the ears each about 4 cm long. It has mostly five molars. Night feeding it remains in the day in a hollow in the jungle and its mode of life is hardly to be known. It is presumed that the Amamis black hare may now amount to about 1,000 in number.
• The most primitive among the hares now existent, it was designated as natural monument in July 1963.

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