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.
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.
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