The lush vegetation of Trinidad
Trinidad's humidity and warmth ensure the luxuriance typical of the islands of the Caribbean Arc. With different species taking it in turns to bloom, you'll be constantly surrounded by a world of unrivalled color. Over 2,500 plant species have been recorded on the island, and botany enthusiasts will not be disappointed! Giant ferns line the roads, dotted with orchids often endemic to the island, such as the multicolored butterfly orchid. More than 700 species of orchid have been recorded in Trinidad, from the smallest with flowers barely a few millimetres in size to the largest, such as the hoof orchid, which can have flowers over 20 cm in diameter - an almost permanent feast for the eyes.
Endemic species. The most common plant families include ferns, orchids, legumes, sedges, rubiaceae and euphorbiaceae. Each of these families includes over 80 different species. Among the trees with the most beautiful blossoms are the poui, a majestic tree covered with beautiful yellow flowers in April, and the many flamboyant trees that line the island's roads. Among the most imposing trees of the primary forest are the crappo, the guatecare and the "cannonball tree", with its large red flowers, the cano wood, the kapok from which car seat upholstery was extracted before the advent of synthetic foams, and the banyan, a tree of the ficus genus, sacred to the Hindus.
Imported species. Trinidad's various conquests were of course accompanied by the introduction of species not endemic to the island, which are now found throughout the territory. One of the first species introduced was the cocoa tree, which arrived here over 200 years ago for obvious production reasons. Coffee followed around a hundred years ago, along with teak, sought after for its noble wood. Coconut, banana and breadfruit trees, which seem ubiquitous today, arrived from Asia during the last century, as did orange, lemon and other citrus trees.
The primary forest of Tobago
Over 5,000 years ago, Tobago's flora was made up of four distinct types of vegetation. The wetlands were covered with mangroves. The coasts were wooded. Seasonal vegetation covered the valleys and hills up to mid-slope. Virgin forest covered the upper part of the island's mountain range. This primary forest, the oldest in the Caribbean, has all the characteristics of the primary tropical forests that still exist in South America, Central Africa and even Indonesia. It is organized into five distinct levels, each of which is home to a variety of animal species.
The first level is formed by the tops of very tall trees emerging from the forest, such as the majestic kapok, which can reach over 50 m above the ground. Its wingspan can reach 80 m, making it one of the tallest trees in the forest.
A few metres lower down, the tops of a wide variety of trees, reaching 30 to 40 m, form a tight canopy from which the trees on the first level escape, like great candles protecting the forest. This canopy is rich not only in epiphytic plants (which produce their own food by photosynthesis), but also in multicolored orchids and bromeliads, whose nectar birds love.
The third level of the forest, at around 20 m above ground level, is made up of smaller trees and juveniles of the larger species. It is often inhabited by howler monkeys, who punctuate sunrises and sunsets with their unforgettable guttural call.
Shrubs of all kinds form the fourth level, just above ground level, which is invaded by creeping and climbing plants that require a machete ("coutlass") to clear a path.
Until the 18th century, settlers cleared a large part of the island, mainly on the coast and in the countless valleys of this small country, mainly to grow sugar cane. When the British took control of the island in the mid-18th century, land clearance accelerated to such an extent that it endangered not only the rainforest but, by domino effect, the entire island ecosystem. To attack the rainforest was to run the risk of drying out the whole island, and seeing it become a useless rock for mankind. In 1764, recognizing this risk, the British governor declared Tobago's rainforest a British Crown Reserve, making it the oldest natural park on the planet.
Animals of Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago's fauna is different from that of other Caribbean islands. Its unique nature stems from the fact that millions of years ago, these two islands were actually connected to South America, and the ancestors of many animals found in Venezuela passed over the land bridge. There are around 100 species of mammal, 90 species of reptile, including five types of sea turtle. There are 50 species of freshwater fish, 30 species of amphibians and 950 species of marine fish living on or in the waters around Trinidad & Tobago and its smaller islands. Some of these species are endemic.
Since Trinidad & Tobago are two islands, they have two national animals. Trinidad's national symbol is the scarlet ibis, and Tobago's national animal is the "cocrico", also known as the "chacalaca", a wild red-tailed pheasant hen. Both birds feature on the country's coat of arms.
Wherever you are, close to the forest in Trinidad & Tobago, you may be lucky enough to come across an agouti, a large rodent the size of a rabbit, highly prized for its meat and still hunted today. Deer are also present but rare to observe, as are the pretty ocelots, large spotted wildcats that hunt in the trees.
Finally, let's not forget the marine animals, the largest of which, whale sharks and manta rays, come to feast on the plankton that fill the waters of the Orinoco River, which flows as far north as Tobago, much to the delight of divers from all over the world.
