Mark O'Shea - The Official Website

Capital: Suva
Population: 849,000
Languages: English,
Bau Fijian, Hindi
Currency: Fijian Dollar

FIJI

1968

DEFINITIVES
(SG 381)

2/- Sea snake
Dadakulaci

	Name on stamp	Current name	Accepted common name
2/-	none	Laticauda colubrina	Yellow-lipped sea krait

One of 17 definitives in regular use, one stamp illustrating a marine snake. Although described as a sea snake, the species is an amphibious sea krait.

1969

DEFINITIVES
(SG 401)

20c Sea snake
Dadakulaci

	Name on stamp	Current name	Accepted common name
20c	none	Laticauda colubrina	Yellow-lipped sea krait

The decimal version of the previous stamp.

1979

ENDANGERED WILDLIFE
(SG 564-565)


4c Banded iIguana Brachylophus fasciatus	15c Treefrog Platymantis vitiensis

	Name on stamp	Current name	Accepted common name
4c	Brachylophus fasciatus	Brachylophus fasciatus	Banded iguana
15c	Platymantis vitiensis	Platymantis vitiensis	Fijian treefrog

Two stamps in the four stamp series Endangered Wildlife feature herpetological subjects.

1986

ENDEMIC REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
(SG 741-746)


8c Ground frog Platymantis vitianus	20c Burrowing snake Ogmodon vitianus	25c Spotted gecko Lepidodactylus manni

40c Crested iguana Brachylophus vitiensis	50c Blotched skink Emoia campbelli	$1 Speckled skink Emoia trossula

	Name on stamp	Current name	Proposed common name
8c	Platymantis vitianus	Platymantis vitianus	Fijian ground frog
20c	Ogmodon vitianus	Ogmodon vitianus	Fiji burrowing snake
25c	Lepidodactylus manni	Lepidodactylus manni	Fijian scaly-toed gecko
40c	Brachylophus vitiensis	Brachylophus vitiensis	Crested iguana
50c	Emoia campbelli	Emoia campbelli	Fijian montane tree skink
$1	Emoia trossula	Emoia trossula	Barred tree skink

An interesting set of six stamps featuring rare or endangered Fijian reptiles and amphibians including the scarce Fiji snake (Ogmodon vitianus).

1988

FIJIAN TREE FROG
(SG 778-781)


18c, 23c, 30c, 45c Fijian treefrog Platymantis vitiensis

	Name on stamp	Current name	Accepted common name
18c	Platymantis vitiensis	Platymantis vitiensis	Fijian treefrog
23c	Platymantis vitiensis	Platymantis vitiensis	Fijian treefrog
30c	Platymantis vitiensis	Platymantis vitiensis	Fijian treefrog
45c	Platymantis vitiensis	Platymantis vitiensis	Fijian treefrog

Four attractive and detailed studies of the Fijian treefrog (Platymantis vitiensis).

1997

LIFE CYCLE OF THE HAWKSBILL TURTLE
(MS 981)


	63c, 81c, $1.06, $2 Hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata

	Name on stamp	Current name	Accepted common name
63c	Eretmochelys imbricata	Eretmochelys imbricata	Hawksbill sea turtle
81c	Eretmochelys imbricata	Eretmochelys imbricata	Hawksbill sea turtle
$1.06	Eretmochelys imbricata	Eretmochelys imbricata	Hawksbill sea turtle
$2	Eretmochelys imbricata	Eretmochelys imbricata	Hawksbill sea turtle

A minisheet containing four studies from the life cycle of the Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) from hatching to adulthood.

2003

GECKOS
(SG 1204-1207)


83c Pacific slender-toed gecko Nactus pelagicus	$1.07 Indopacific tTree gecko Hemiphyllodactylus typus

$1.15 Mann's gecko Lepidodactylus manni	$2 Voracious gecko Gehyra vorax

	Name on stamp	Current name	Proposed common name
63c	Nactus pelagicus	Nactus pelagicus	Pacific slender-toed gecko
81c	Hemiphyllodactylus typus	Hemiphyllodactylus typus	Indo-Pacific tree gecko
$1.06	Lepidodactylus manni	Lepidodactylus manni	Fijian scaly-toed gecko
$2	Gehyra vorax	Gehyra vorax	Voraciou gecko

Four impressively accurate studies of Fijian geckos.

2006

FIJI GROUND FROG
(SG 1307-1310)



50c, 83c, $1.15 $2 Fiji ground frog Platymantis vitianus

	Name on stamp	Current name	Proposed common name
63c	Platymantis vitianus	Platymantis vitianus	Fiji ground frog
81c	Platymantis vitianus	Platymantis vitianus	Fiji ground frog
$1.06	Platymantis vitianus	Platymantis vitianus	Fiji ground frog
$2	Platymantis vitianus	Platymantis vitianus	Fiji ground frog

Four diverse studies of the Fijian ground frog (Platymantis vitianus).

SKINKS OF FIJI
(SG 1311-1314)


18c Pigmy snake-eyed skink Cryptoblepharus eximius	58c Brown-tailed copper-striped skink Emoia cyanura

$1.15 Pacific black skink Emoia nigra	$3 Pacific blue-tailed skink Emoia caeruleocauda

	Name on stamp	Current name	Proposed common name
18c	Cryptoblepharus eximius	Cryptoblepharus eximius	Fijian snake-eyed skink
58c	Emoia cyanura	Emoia cyanura	Copper-tailed skink
$1.15	Emoia nigra	Emoia nigra	Pacific black skink
$3	Emoia caeruleocauda	Emoia caeruleocauda	Pacific blue-tailed skink

Four accurate, detailed studies of the skinks of Fiji.

FIJI'S EXTINCT MEGAFAUNA
(SG1326, 1329)


50c Brachylophus vitiensis	$1.50 Platymantis megabotoniviti

	Name on stamp	Current name	Common name
18c	Platymantis megabotoniviti	Platymantis megabotoniviti	Giant Fijian ground frog
58c	Brachylophus vitiensis	Volia athollandersoni	Fijian crocodile

Two of the four stamps in this series of extinct Fijian megafauna feature a frog and a crocodile. The frog (Platymantis megabotoniviti) is illustrated feeding on a small rodent while the crocodile is mislabelled "Brachylophus vitiensis" which is the name of the extant Crested gecko, and should be labelled Volia athollandersoni.

2010

SNAKES OF FIJI
(SG n/a)


20c Yellow-bellied sea snake Pelamis Platurus	90c Fiji burrowing snake Ogmodon Vitianus

$1.10 Banded sea krait Laticauda Colubrina	$2 Pacific boa Candoia Bibroni

	Name on stamp	Current name	Proposed common name
20c	Pelamis Platurus	Hydrophis platurus	Pelagic seasnake
90c	Ogmodon Vitianus	Ogmodon vitianus	Fiji burrowing snake
$1.10	Laticauda Colubrina	Laticauda colubrina	Yellow-lipped sea krait
$2	Candoia Bibroni	Candoia bibroni bibroni	Pacific boa

This is a quaint set of four stamps featuring snakes found on land or in the waters around Fiji, but it is spoiled a little by some careless mistakes, i.e. the specific part of a scientific name does not receive a large case initial letter, and the 20c stamp is stated to represent the yellow-bellied seasnake, but the yellow pigment is on the upper surface. A close look at this stamp and it is clear the snake has been drawn upside down although the seaweed is the right way up. This species is now placed in the genus Hydrophis.

Associated links on this site:

Fijian herps on non-herps stamps

Fijian first day covers

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