FLORA & FAUNA
Flora
Martinique was originally named Madinina, which means island of flowers. Vegetation very much depends upon the rainfall. In the tropical rainforests in the north you will find lots of lianas, bamboos, ferns, gum trees and hardwood trees such as Mahogany. The south is drier and therefore consists of cactus, mangroves and palm trees, which were imported from South American countries and islands in the Indian Ocean.
above: Jardin Balata, Route de la Trace (N3)
above: Hibiscus Flower above: Arum Flower
Fauna
Martinique has very few animals, however during colonisation animals such as cattle, goats and pigs were imported for food. Mongooses were also introduced to keep down the population of the deadly Fer de Lance snake, which unfortunately also lead to the decline in population of many tropical bird species. If you are coming to Martinique for the hiking opportunities, you may come across a matoutou (mygale cancerides) spider in the tropical rain forests, which could give you a fever if you are bitten. However, nowadays you are very more likely to see harmless green lizards and frogs, particularly after rainfall.
above: Manoutou (Mygale Cancerides) Spider
Flora
Martinique was originally named Madinina, which means island of flowers. Vegetation very much depends upon the rainfall. In the tropical rainforests in the north you will find lots of lianas, bamboos, ferns, gum trees and hardwood trees such as Mahogany. The south is drier and therefore consists of cactus, mangroves and palm trees, which were imported from South American countries and islands in the Indian Ocean.
above: Jardin Balata, Route de la Trace (N3)
above: Hibiscus Flower above: Arum Flower
Fauna
Martinique has very few animals, however during colonisation animals such as cattle, goats and pigs were imported for food. Mongooses were also introduced to keep down the population of the deadly Fer de Lance snake, which unfortunately also lead to the decline in population of many tropical bird species. If you are coming to Martinique for the hiking opportunities, you may come across a matoutou (mygale cancerides) spider in the tropical rain forests, which could give you a fever if you are bitten. However, nowadays you are very more likely to see harmless green lizards and frogs, particularly after rainfall.
above: Manoutou (Mygale Cancerides) Spider
