Selvagens Islands are composed of two groups of small islands, the Great Wild and Wild Small, composing the Nature Reserve, established in 1971, is the oldest in Portugal. These are considered as a bird sanctuary, its conditions for nesting seabirds.

In these islands, the fauna is dominated by seabirds that nest on this, which highlights the shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis), has a higher density in this area, the calcamar (Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca) is the most numerous, the soul-black (Bulweria bulwerii), the castling-de-castro (Oceanodroma castro) and chick (Puffinus assimilis baroli). With regard to the resident birds stand out from the run-paths (Anthus bertheloti bertheloti), an passariforme whose subspecies is the same as that found in the Canary Islands but not in the Madeira Islands, and the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus canadienses), a subspecies endemic to Madeira.

With regard to vertebrates one can see the gecko (Tarentola bischoffi) and the gecko (wild dugesii Teira), exclusive and Hayes; already endemic invertebrates include mainly Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. In terrestrial gastropods stand out eight species, of which one is the Macaronesia, the aequalis Ovatella and an endemic and Hayes, the macandrewiana Theba. In its clear waters, is a diversified fauna, next to the rocks highlight is the gastropods, such as periwinkles, snails, barnacles, the footwall and the hedgehog-of-thorns-long (Diadema antillarum), next to these are several species of sponges, anemones and starfish, seas. As regards the fish species, they are more often the Castanheta (limbata Chromis and Abudefduf luridus), mullet (Liza aurata), the Bogue (Boops boops), bream (Diplodus sp.), Grouper (Serranus atricauda), rockfish (Sparisoma Cretan), fish-dog (barred hogfish), fish-green (Thalassoma pavo). Over the surrounding waters, you can see several species of turtles and cetaceans.

The flora of the Savage Islands is made up of different species that have adapted to the climate and soil conditions. Flowers covering its ground have a very large endemic representation, compared to the entire region of Macaronesia. Already the vegetation Wild Small and islet Outside is only composed of indigenous and endemic species, purely unique to your land, as the Wild Grande also has a unique vegetable mantle with an endemic flora, some common between islands and other exclusive. Therefore, the Savage Islands contain 11 endemic species such as squill wood-(Autonoe madeirensis) Mandon (Argyranthemum thalassophilum) Lobularia canariensis ssp. Rosula-venti, Lotus salvagensis, monanthes lowei and fig-of-hell Euphorbia anachoreta. To preserve and protect this natural heritage, in 2001, it began to be a work of extermination of invasive plants, monitoring of species such as the tobacco Nicotiana glauca and more recently, Conyza bonariensis. The irregular seafloor allow colonization of algae photophilia between fences 173 seaweeds, especially in red algae.