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Flora and Fauna
Like that of all tropical regions, Cozumel's plant life is varied and plentiful. The trees reach a maximum of 10 meters (30+ feet) in height. Ptredominant among them are sapodilla, quebracho, ceiba, chechen, huaya and caracolillo, as well as shrubs like icaco and resinosa. In the marshy areas grow tasiste, red mangrove,white mangrove and botoncillo.
The plants generally grown in the tropics, like pineapples, mamey, mango, bananas, oranges and lemons, were once widely cultivated. But like other traditional crops, such as corn beans, squash, chiles and sweet potatoes, the production has dimished in recent years as more people abandon the countryside for more lucrative jobs in the tourist sector.
The same can be said about flowers and other tropical plants; they grow all over the island but are not specifically cultivated.
Wildlife also bounds, especially since hunting has been prohibited in recent years. The jungle is inhabited by rabbits, badgers, raccons, armadillos, iguanas, wild boards and occasionally deer. The indigenous snakes are not poisonous. Crocodiles live only in the agoons and mangroves. There are no big cats on the island.
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