Capital: Djibouti
Population: 864,000
Languages: French, Arabic
Currency: French Franc
DJIBOUTI

as FRENCH SOMALI COAST

1967

SOMALI FAUNA
(SG 503)

20f Varanus griseus

 

 
Name on stamp
Current name
Accepted common name
20f
Varanus griseus
Varanus griseus
Desert monitor lizard

A single stamp of the attractive pastel style common across French colonies at the time, featuring a Desert monitor lizard (Varanus griseus). However, to include this species as an example of "Somali Fauna" is misleading because although it occurs further north in Eritrea and Sudan, and across the Red Sea in Yemen, it is absent from all of Somaliland, including Djibouti.

 

as FRENCH TERRITORY OF AFARS & ISSAS

1976

REPTILES
(SG 673-674)

70f Naja nigricollis
80f Psammophis elegans

 

 
Name on stamp
Current name
Accepted common name
70f
Naja nigricollis
Naja nigricollis
Black-necked spitting cobra
80f
Psammophis elegans
Psammophis elegans
Elegant sandsnake

Two stamps portraying two snake species surrounded by lines that seem to symbolise movement. These are attractive stamps and feature a Black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) and an Elegant sandsnake (Psammophis elegans) - the head is rather greener than normal but the striped and immaculate white belly match well. However, Djibouti is a Red Sea country on the northeast coast of Africa but the Elegant sandsnake is a West African species. Similarly, the spitting cobra from Djibouti is the Red spitting cobra (Naja pallida) yet this image is clearly a Black-necked spitter which does not occur that far northeast.

as DJIBOUTI

1977


FAUNA
(SG 698)

70f Naja nigricollis

 

 
Name on stamp
Current name
Accepted common name
70f
Naja nigricollis
Naja nigricollis
Black-necked spitting cobra

Afars & Issas became the Republic of Djibouti in 1977 and reissued several of the earlier stamps including the Black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) overprinted 'Republique de Djibouti'.


MARINE LIFE
(SG 714)

70f Chelonia mydas

 

 
Name on stamp
Current name
Accepted common name
70f
Chelonia mydas
Chelonia mydas
Green sea turtle

1992


TURTLE
(SG 1087)

 

One of three stamps illustrates the Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas).

200f Caretta caretta

 

 
Name on stamp
Current name
Accepted common name
200f
Caretta caretta
Caretta caretta
Loggerhead sea turtle

Another of the sea turtles encountered off the coast, the Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta).