# 5799n - 2023 First-Class Forever Stamp - Endangered Species: San Fransisco Garter Snake

U.S. #5799n
2023 San Francisco Garter Snake – Endangered Species

• Part of the Endangered Species set celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
• Design pictures a photograph by Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project 

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Set:  Endangered Species
Value:  63¢, First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue:  May 19, 2023
First Day City:  Wall, South Dakota
Quantity Issued:  30,000,000
Printed by:  Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method:  Offset, Flexographic
Format:  Panes of 20
Tagging:  Phosphor tagged paper

Why the stamp was issued:  To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act and the endangered San Francisco garter snake.

About the stamp design:  Like the others in the set, the photograph on the stamp is from Joel Sartore’s famous “Photo Ark” project.  They are among over 13,000 the National Geographic photographer has taken in his quest to shoot photos of as many animal species as possible.

Special design details:  Stamp includes “Endangered” and the common name of the species.

First Day City:  First Day of Issue Ceremony was in Wall, South Dakota, at the National Grasslands Visitor Center.  The center encourages visitors to see the 20 National Grasslands and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  These habitats are home to the black-footed ferret, one of the endangered species pictured in the set of stamps.

About the Endangered Species set:  The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28.  The legislation “protect[s] species and the ecosystems upon which they depend,” with a goal “to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.”  The ESA is jointly administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service.

In 2023, the US Postal Service celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the ESA with a set of 20 Forever stamps.  The stamps were issued on Endangered Species Day, which lands on the third Friday in May.  Each design pictures a different endangered species, representing only a small handful of the over 1,300 plants and animals protected under the ESA as of 2023.  The images used for the stamps were part of Joel Sartore’s “Photo Ark.”  Partnering with National Geographic, he set out to capture 20,000 species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries around the world.  Together, they are determined to intimately picture each species in order to educate and bring awareness to their preservation.  Sartore calls his work as a photographer a “mission to document endangered species and landscapes in order to show a world worth saving.”

Thanks to the ESA, many plant and animal species that were once endangered have made a comeback.  With the continued effort of conservationists, volunteers, and increased awareness, even more species can make their way back from the brink of extinction one day.

History the stamp represents:  The San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) is a brightly colored subspecies of common garter snake native to San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties in California.  The snake has been listed as endangered on state lists since 1967 as well as the first Federal Endangered Species List in 1973.  It is threatened by urbanization, the draining and pollution of wetlands, and illegal collection for the pet trade.

San Francisco garter snakes are 18 to 55 inches long with blue-green scales on their backs and stripes of black, red-orange, and blue-green.  They have red heads and good eyesight for hunting during the day.  Compared to other garter snakes, they have relatively slender heads and long snouts.  San Francisco garter snakes have mildly toxic venom in their saliva, but this is mostly harmless to humans.

Ponds with lots of vegetation are the San Francisco garter snake’s preferred habitat.  They feed mainly on California red-legged frogs, which are also listed as federally endangered.  This has also been a contributing factor in the decline of the San Francisco garter snake.  Juvenile snakes and red-legged frogs may also be preyed on by adult American bullfrogs, further reducing numbers of both endangered species.  Without help from humans, these snakes may completely disappear.