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1990
[no image available yet] A single stamp of a fossilized tortoise or turtle. 1997
[no image available yet] Two stamps illustrating the Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas).
2002 LE SERPENT D'ALOFI
Bibron's Pacific or bevel-nosed boa (Candoia bibroni) is the onlyindigeous terrestrial snake known to occur in the Wallis and Fortuna Island group, northeast of Fiji, although the Brahminy blindsnake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) is probably introduced. Nice to see the snake recognised as important, shame the scientific name is both out of date (Candoia since 1951) and written incorrectly (it should be a small case b for bibroni). The boa probably survives because Alofi, off the southeast of Fortuna, is virtually uninhabited according to Wikipedia (2 persons in 2003), the minimum number required to justify posting a letter!
2004 LE PILI 'ULI
Two species of skinks (genus Emoia) are present in the Wallis & Fortuna Islands. The widespread Blue-tailed skink (E.cyanura) occurs on Wallis while the species found on Fortuna Island is thought to be the more localised Steindachner's Pacific skink (E.adspera) which also occurs on other islands in the region, so it is not endemic to Wallis and Fortuna, as claimed, unless it turns out to be a new species. The photograph does not closely resemble either species, although it is certainly an emoid.
2005 TORTUES VERTES
A attractive and imaginative turtle-shaped minisheet demonstrating the life-cycle of the Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas).
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