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Hurricane season in the
Bahamas officially runs from June to
November, but most hurricanes
occur between the months of August
and September. On average, five hur-
ricanes churn through the Bahamas
per year. However, this number can
vary greatly from year to year.
Plants and Animals
The
flora
of the Bahamas is unique,
vibrant, and diverse. There are over
1,370 species of trees and plants on
the islands. Native Bahamian plants
include the bull vine, the wild grape,
several kinds of fig, and bromeliads.
Trees include wild tamarind, pigeon
plum, and casuarina pine.
The government of the Bahamas has set aside land for 12 nationally
funded nature parks. These parks protect and preserve such animals as the
Abaco parrot, West Indian flamingos, and green turtles, as well as such nat-
ural wonders as undersea caves and coral reefs.
The fauna of the Bahamas is limited. It includes 12 species of native bats,
all of them endangered. The only other land mammal native to the islands is
the endangered hutia, a member of the rodent family similar to the guinea
Islands and Cays 11
Dolphins leap from the water off Grand
Bahama Island as a man pilots a skiff
nearby.