U.S. #5545
2021 20¢ Brush Rabbit
Issue Date: January 24, 2021
First Day City: Sacramento, CA
Type of Stamp: Definitive
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, microprint
Format: Coil of 100
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 60,000,000
In 2021, the United States Postal Service issued a new non-denominated additional-ounce stamp. It was printed in two formats – a pane of 20 and coil of 100 – and pictured a brush rabbit. The stamp design featured existing artwork by designer and illustrator Dugald Stermer. Stermer was well known for his pencil and watercolor techniques, and was fond of painting flora and fauna.
The brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) is a relatively small species of cottontail rabbit. It lives on the West coast of North America, ranging from Oregon to Mexico. These rabbits range from 12 to 14.5 inches long and weigh 18 to 32 ounces. They are dark gray with a pale gray underbelly and tail, and black whiskers.
Brush rabbits were named after the dense vegetation in which they make their homes. These brush piles or clumps of brambles disguise a complex network of trails the rabbits use to get around. While many rabbit species dig their own burrows, brush rabbits do not. They sometimes use burrows dug by other animals, but often do not use burrows at all.
Many rabbit species are hunted for their meat or fur. Brush rabbits, on the other hand, are usually left alone due to their small size. Today, their numbers are holding steady and they are a species of least concern for becoming endangered or extinct.