The Tropical Thorny Woods ecosystem or Xerofític Forest is characterized by a semiarid climate that has a precipitation regime below 1000, altitudes not much above sea level and temperatures ranging between 23°C and 29°C. This ecosystem is found mainly in the southern Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia where it can be seen inland in some places, plus all the insular system near the coast.

The plants present in this ecosystem are small, the highest stratum reaches 4 or 5 meters and plant density is low. The plant species are characterized by the presence of thorns or with small leaves. According to this feature differs in cardonales and espinares .

In the Cardonales the presence of thistles and prickly pears are the predominant. In areas where this type of vegetation develops the annual rainfall is less than 600 mm, with a dry season that lasts from 7 to 10 months. The most representative species correspond to the Buchito (Mammilaria mammilaris), el Cactus trepador (Acanthocereus tetragonus), el Buche (Melocatus curvispinus), la Tuna blanca (Opuntia caracasana), la Guasabara (Opuntia caribaea), Cardón guanajo (Pilosocereus moritzianus), el cardón dato (Stenocereus griseus), y el Guamacho (Pereskia guamacho).

Other plant species present among the thistles inland belong to the order Cereus (C. margaritensis), la Tuna real (Nopalea cochimillifera), Tuna españa (Opuntia ficus), entre los árboles estan el Cují yaque (Prosopis juliflora), Dividive (Caesalpinia coriaria), Guamacho (Pereskia guamacho) y otras especies sin espinas son la Quigua (amyris balamifera), Candil (amyris simplicifolia) y la Amapola blanca (Plumeria alba)

The thorny and chaparral correspond to semi-dry forests and trees are structured with heights ranging from 8 to 15 m. These small trees have a medium sparse distribution in the ecosystem. The annual rainfall where this ecosystem develops varies between 800 and 1,000 mm and lies inland, slightly away from the coast. Some of the most representative species are the Cují Yaque (Prosopis juliflora), el Dividive (Caesalpinia coriara), el Cují torcido (Acacia tortuosa), el Yacure (Pithecellobium dulce), el Olivo (Capparis odoratissima) y el Trompillo (Jacquinia revoluta),

The most significant fauna in this ecosystem of Margarita Island (Venezuela) is the margaritan rabbit (Syviagus margaritae floridanus), along with other endemic species such as the squirrel (Sciurus granatensis nesacus), deer (Odocoileus virginianus margaritae). Among the coral snake it is (micrurus circinalis) whose venom is deadly. Species typical of the island birds are the Pegón cocoa (Xiphorhinchus guttatus margaritae), the gonzalito (yellow oriole helioeides), black Thrush (quiscalus lugubris insularis) and the margaritan parot.