Small Animals

 

2015: Flora and Fauna of Alderney (Design - Petula Stone)

Hello Mr Mole, look at those cute feet. May be tunneling under a lawn near you.

Another cutie - a Blonde Hedgehog. Hedgehogs were brought to Alderney as pets which subsequently were released or escaped into the wild. Their genetic diversity is low and an inherited rare genetic trait means their spines are blonde.  60% of the 400-600 hedgehogs on Alderney are like this. Unlike an albino hedgehog (a different gene) they have dark eyes.

2018: Introduced Species (Illustrations - Tanya Lock)

The beaver became extinct in Britain in the 16th Century but since 1999 they have been reintroduced as a keystone species to create wetlands and increase biodiversity with the added benefit of reducing water flow. Two were introduced not too far away from me last year as a scientific trial. They arrived from Scotland, one of them (Glen) had been rescued from a outflow of a hydroelectric plant  after becoming trapped. Another lover of wetland on the other stamp is the Pool Frog, which was presumed extinct in 1995 and reintroduced into East Anglia from Sweden.

Endangered Fauna

Say what you see - its a Geometric tortoise. Sometimes called the 'Faberge egg' of tortoises. It is an endangered species, much of its decline is due to habitat loss.

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Small Animals -at See It On A Postcard. .