Coconut Crabs of Vanuatu

The Coconut crab ( Birgus latro) is the largest land-living arthropod in the world. The species inhabits the coastal forest regions of many Indo-Pacific islands. Generally nocturnal, they remain hidden during the day and emerge only on some nights to forage.They can weigh nearly 9 pounds and live 60 years.

This enormous crab has developed much to adapt to its conditions: climbing skills to fetch food from tree tops; digging skills to burrow underground and into tree trunks to hide; gills to survive in water, or to drink a little saltwater to maintain its body salt.

The life cycle of the Coconut Crab (Birgus latro) is extremely drawn out which causes the species to re-populate slowly. Phase one sees the female crabs travel to the coast to spawn. Four to five larval stages follow, taking 28 days in the ocean, after which the developing crab spends a further 28 days on the ocean floor. The next stage is to come ashore and find an empty shell to hide in. They remain in this temporary housing for 1-2 years and then travel inland where they tunnel underground to a depth of 50mm. In yet another home, the exoskeleton becomes brittle and is discarded and the crab becomes immobile. The crab then eats its old shell to re-absorb minerals while a new shell develops over a 4-week period. The crab can then finally leave its burrow but reproduction cannot occur until they mature between 3.5 and 5 years.

They are herbivorous feeding mainly on dry coconut flesh (by cracking open coconut shells with their powerful claws), dead fruits and leaf but have also been observed eating dead animal carcasses.

The crab population has shrunk throughout its range due to habitat depletion, collecting for food and by introduced animal enemies such as pigs. With rapidly declining Coconut Crab numbers, Vanuatu has implemented a 3-year ban in certain parts of the Republic, on the collection of the world’s largest crustacean. The slow life cycle resulted in an Act aimed at protecting females of egg-bearing age, by prohibiting the collection of any crab whose body is less than 9cm. In length. These actions will hopefully rejuvenate a resource that has become one of the symbols of the nation.

The gathering of Coconut Crabs is not illegal but there is a quota allocation and closed seasons which everyone is asked to obey. Coconut crab populations in several areas have declined or become extinct due to both habitat loss and human predation.It is a worldwide protected species according to the IUCN Invertebrate Red Data Book.

Vanuatu Post is proud to support the efforts being made to ensure the long-term survival of the Coconut Crab in Vanuatu and releases this stamp issue to help raise awareness of this conservation initiative.

Fruits of St. Kitts

St. Kitts Post has issued the stamp series feature the fruits of St. Kitts that comprised of 4 single stamps depicted Cherries, Coconut, Watermelon, Tangerines and one souvenir sheet depict Papaya fruit. There are colourful stamps.

Cherries (10c),The cherry is a fleshy stone fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species.Cherries contain anthocyanins, the red pigment in berries.True cherry fruits are born by members of the sub-genus Cerasus which is distinguished by having the flowers in small corymbs of several together and by having a smooth fruit with only a weak groove or none along one side. The subgenus is native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with two species in America, three in Europe, and the remainder in Asia. The majority of eating cherries are derived from either Prunus avium, the wild cherry (sometimes called the sweet cherry), or from Prunus cerasus, the sour cherry.The cultivated forms are of the species wild cherry (Prunus avium) to which most cherry cultivars belong, and the sour cherry (P. cerasus), which is used mainly for cooking. Both species originate in Europe and western Asia.Cherries have a very short growing season and can grow in most temperate latitudes. The peak season for cherries is in the summer.

Coconut (15c),Although coconut meat contains less fat than many oilseeds and nuts such as almonds, it is noted for its high amount of medium-chain saturated fat. About 90% of the fat found in coconut meat is saturated, a proportion exceeding that of foods such as lard, butter, and tallow.Coconut meat contains less sugar and more protein than popular fruits such as bananas, apples and oranges. It is relatively high in minerals such as iron, phosphorus and zinc.Young coconuts used for coconut water are called tender coconuts: when the coconut is still green, the endosperm inside is thin and tender, and is often eaten as a snack, but the main reason to pick the fruit at this stage is to drink its water. The water of a tender coconut is liquid endosperm. It is sweet (mild) with an aerated feel when cut fresh. Depending on its size a tender contains 300 to 1,000 ml of coconut water.The meat in a young coconut is softer and more gelatinous than a mature coconut, so much so, that it is sometimes known as coconut jelly. When the coconut has ripened and the outer husk has turned brown, a few months later, it will fall from the palm of its own accord. At that time the endosperm has thickened and hardened, while the coconut water has become somewhat bitter.

Watermelon (30c),Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus ), can be both the fruit and the plant of a vine-like (scrambler and trailer) plant originally from southern Africa, and is one of the most common types of melon.The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon (although not in the genus Cucumis), has a smooth exterior rind (green, yellow and sometimes white) and a juicy, sweet interior flesh (usually pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, red and sometimes green if not ripe). It is also commonly used to make a variety of salads, most notably fruit salad.Watermelon juice can also be made into wine.

A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight also large amounts of beta carotene , As with many other fruits, it is a source of vitamin C.Watermelon is also mildly diuretic.

Notable is the inner rind of the watermelon, which is usually a light green or white colour. This area is edible and contains many hidden nutrients that most people avoid eating due to its unappealing flavour.Watermelon with red flesh is a significant source of lycopene.

Tangerines ($1),Tangerines are a good source of vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene. They also contain some potassium, magnesium and vitamins B1, B2 and B3. Tangerine oil, like all citrus oils, has limonene as its major constituent, but also alpha-pinene, myrcene, gamma-terpinene, citronellal, linalool, neral, neryl acetate, geranyl acetate, geraniol, thymol, and carvone.

Tangerines are most commonly peeled and eaten out of hand. The fresh fruit is also used in salads, desserts and main dishes. Fresh tangerine juice and frozen juice concentrate are commonly available in the United States. The number of seeds in each segment (carpel) varies greatly.The tangerine (Citrus tangerina) is an orange-coloured citrus fruit. It is a variety of the Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata). Tangerines are smaller than most oranges, and are usually much easier to peel and to split into segments. The taste is often less sour, or tart, than that of an orange.

Papaya ($10),

The papaya (from Carib via Spanish), papaw or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, in the genus Carica.The ripe fruit is usually eaten raw, without skin or seeds. The unripe green fruit of papaya can be eaten cooked, usually in curries, salads and stews. It has a relatively high amount of pectin, which can be used to make jellies.Papaya is marketed in tablet form to remedy digestive problems.Papain is also applied topically (in countries where it grows) for the treatment of cuts, rashes, stings and burns. Papain ointment is commonly made from fermented papaya flesh, and is applied as a gel-like paste.