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Animals
and plants are in abundance in the BVI. The
British Virgin Islands are semi-tropical islands,
neither lush nor overly dry. The mountainsides
are covered for much of the year in a thick
green carpet of tropical trees, bushes and scrub.
Most prevalent of these trees is the wild tamarind,
a hardy tree with deep roots that needs little
moisture.
Also
covering the hillsides are fields of tall guinea
grass, upon which cattle and goats feed, as
well as wild and fragrant frangipani trees and
turpentine trees (locally referred to as tourist
trees because of their red and peeling trunks).
On dryer areas of the islands, such as the eastern
portion of Tortola, much of Virgin Gorda and
some of the outer islands, there are many varieties
of cactus and succulents, including Turks Head,
Pipe Organ and Prickly Pear. The Century Plant,
a massive succulent with tall, spiky leaves,
puts out a lofty stalk which can reach 40 feet
in length and contains pods of yellow flowers.
Each plant blooms only every eight years, but
in the spring you will see dozens of the plants
adorning the hillsides. The White Cedar, which
has delicate white or pink flowers when in blossom,
is indigenous to the BVI, and is the territory's
national tree.
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Fruit
trees can also be seen throughout the
islands in both groves and gardens. The
breadfruit, a large shady tree, has a
large green fruit that is used as a starchy
side dish when cooked. Banana trees are
seen in the valleys and along the mountainsides,
as are mangoes, whose succulent fruit
is popular here. Another prevalent tree
is the papaya, a fast growing plant whose
oblong fruit is a lovely yellow-apricot
shade when ripe, but is also boiled while
still green and eaten as a vegetable.
Other fruit trees that flourish here include
sugar apples, guavaberry and soursops.
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A
great variety of colourful tropical flowers
are found in BVI gardens, including hibiscus
in delicate shades of red, pink and yellow,
purple and pink bougainvillea, scarlet flamboyant
and yellow allamanda. Two of the most highly
fragrant flowers found here are jasmine and
frangipani.
Some
of the creatures that you may come across in
the BVI can seem both strange and wonderful.
Among the fascinating array of reptiles and
birds found throughout the islands are two types
of iguana: the indigenous Anegada Rock Iguana,
which is found on Anegada and Guana and Necker
Islands, and the Green Iguana, which is primarily
found around Virgin Gorda's North Sound and
on Peter Island. There is also a large variety
of lizards, including anoles and geckos, and
small tree frogs, known for their melodic chirping
call. The islands' only wild mammal is the mongoose,
which was introduced to the BVI in the 1800s.
Among
our most common birds are the Green-throated
Carib, a small iridescent hummingbird, the delicate
yellow and black Bananaquita, and the American
Kestrel, a falcon that can be seen soaring over
the islands' valleys in search of prey. Tortola,
meaning "dove" in Spanish, was so-called
for the great number of these birds inhabiting
the island, including the Ground Dove and the
Zenaida. When sailing, or at the beach, you
will see a number of sea birds, the most spectacular
of which is the Magnificent Frigate, whose wing
span can reach eight feet. There are also plenty
of Laughing Gulls, Brown Boobies, and the comical
and clumsy Brown Pelican.
Links
& Sources:
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