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The Canary islands, with their temperate climate and wide range of physical environments, have acquired and developed a rich and diverse flora and fauna.
This section will look at the various habitats found on Tenerife and examine the origins and adaptations of some of the plants and animals to be found there.
Although the Canaries is a young archipelago, in geological terms, the islands’ sub-tropical location has meant that the established flora and fauna were little affected by Quaternary glaciation. The origins of certain elements of the flora can be traced back directly to the Tertiary period. In contrast the great majority of Britain’s plants and animals have arrived in the short period since the last ice sheets retreated, a mere 12 000 years ago.
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