Dense subtropical forests cover most of the islands' inland hills, but there are also arid stretches dominated by succulents, palm and coastal mangrove swamps, where baby fish find their swimming fins and crabs scuttle about. Indigenous forest flora includes mahogany, bulletwood, fig, tree ferns and the elephant ear vine, which slithers along the ground until it finds a sturdy tree to climb. Mango, papaya, coconut and breadfruit trees are found in abundance. The mammee apple is native to this part of the Caribbean and is prized for its sweet brown-skinned fruit.
Common animals are lizards, rats and donkeys.
The nocturnal bo-peep frog is found exclusively on Virgin Gorda and Tortola and has a call that seems impossibly loud for such a little tacker. The cheekiest bird of the islands is the bananaquit, a yellow-breasted sugar addict that thinks nothing of swooping your breakfast table for a hypoglycemic hit. Other birds include doves, hummingbirds, herons, egrets and hawks. Trade winds keep humidity low and Caribbean currents keep waters warm. Rainfall is unlikely to dampen a visit, with the wettest months, September through November, averaging only about five days of rain each.