Discover Trinidad & Tobago 2016 — 25th Anniversary Edition

Tobago’s natural history
Once joined to the South American mainland,
Tobago has inherited a continental
legacy of flora, fauna and topography. The
island’s small size offers easy access to the
flat, undulating, coral-based southwest with
its white-sand beaches; the coral-crusted
rock formations of the north; the tropical
rainforest reserve of the Main Ridge, with its
waterfalls, rivers and streams; the swampland
and mangroves close to the ocean;
and islands like Little Tobago off the north
coast. Offshore, a variety of reef types include
the shallow Buccoo Reef, and the
deep reefs off the northeast.
Photo courtesy TDC
Biodiversity in a nutshell
Tobago has an incredible degree
of biodiversity for its small size. Its
flora and fauna include:
200+ bird species
130+ butterfly species (including
the blue emperor)
80+ species of tropical reef fish
20+ species of snake (none
poisonous)
40+ species of coral
17 species of bats
14 species of frog
12 species of mammals
5 species of marine turtles
(including the endangered giant
leatherback)
6 species of lizard.
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