Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). Engraving created in 1700s for renowned work on mammals by German naturalist, Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber, the multi-volume 'Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen' ('The Mammals in Accordance with Illustrations of Nature with Descriptions'), published from 1775 to 1792. Collectively, the mammals featured by Schreber in this work have come to be known as 'Schreber's Fantastic Beasts'. The engraving was later coloured by hand.
Hand-coloured antique engraving. It depicts an arctic fox and was created by an unknown artist for a renowned work on mammals by the German naturalist, Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber (1739-1810). The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), also called white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is the northern fox of the family Canidae, found throughout the Arctic region. There are two genetically distinct coat colour morphs: white and blue. The white morph has a long white coat of fur that becomes dark grey to bluish-brown and thinner in the summer. The blue morph is often a dark blue, brown, or grey colour all year round. Johan Christian Daniel Von Schreber (often styled von Schreber) studied in Germany and Sweden and worked as a medical doctor before beginning his most famous work, his multi-volume 'Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen' ('The Mammals in Accordance with Illustrations of Nature with Descriptions'), published from 1775 to 1792. It was illustrated by about 800 plates of the different mammals. The hand-coloured engraving of an arctic fox was Plate XCIII (93) in a Schreber volume printed c. 1785. Many of the animals were being given scientific names for the first time, according to the binomial system pioneered by the Swedish zoologist, Carl Linnaeus. It is likely that none of the artists responsible had actually seen any of the exotic animals they drew, relying instead on descriptions from explorers. Not surprisingly, many of the pictures are quite a long way from zoological reality. Collectively, they have come to be known as 'Schreber's Fantastic Beasts'.
Size: 13597px × 10197px
Location: In natural habitat
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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