It has a warm climate with an average daily temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) and the rainy season is from November to February with an annual rainfall of approximately 1,000 mm (39 in).

[3] The main vegetation is dense, dry deciduous forest, dominated by trees of Cordyla, Dalbergia, Diospyros, Eugenia, Grewia, Cryptocarya agathophylla and Sideroxylon species.

Outside the forest, there is secondary savanna with Bismarckia palms, and Tsimanjonotsy and Ranovoribe lakes and marshes.

The wetlands are the biggest attraction for birds which include the Madagascar fish eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides) which is critically endangered and Bernier's teal (Anas bernieri) which is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

[4] Reptiles found in the reserve include the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) and the Madagascar Ground Boa (Acrantophis madagascariensis).