The Andaman Islands have twelve types of forests, including giant evergreen forest, tropical evergreen forest, southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest, cane brakes forest, wet bamboo brakes forest, semi-evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, littoral forest, mangrove forest, and submontane hill valley swamp forest.
Andaman Forest is abound in plethora of timber species, out of which about 30 varieties are considered to be commercial. Ornamental wood such as Marble Wood, Padauk, Silver Grey, Chooi, Kokko and Buttress formation are noted for their pronounced grain formation.
About 50 varieties of forest mammals are found to occur in A&N Islands, including 26 species of rat, 14 species of bat, two endemic varieties of wild pig, and a fairly good stock of feral elephants.
The A&N Islands have 225 species of butterflies and moths, and 10 are endemic to these Islands. Shells were used as money, ornaments, musical instruments, drinking cups, in magic, and in the making of fine porcelains. The islands are traditionally known for their shell wealth specially Turbo,Trochus, Murex and Nautilus. Some shells are used as novelties, while others are used to produce edible shellfish, and a few are burnt in kiln to produce edible lime.
The Bivalve or Pelecypoda group of animals has about 20,000 living species. They burrow in sand or mud, and have a thick layer of specialised epithelium cells known as rnantle, which secretes a two tier shell material making the shell.
Corals belong to a large group of animals known as Coelenterata (stinging animals) or Cnidaria (thread animals). They grow slowly, have type wise site specific growth rates, and breed together once in a year at a pre-determined time after dusk.
The Coelacanth, one of the groups of fishes thought to have been extinct for 60 million years, has remained unchanged throughout its entire history. Fishes are the masters of water world, having inhabited it for more than 360 million years.