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The reserve has characterized by a Sudanese climate type with two distinct seasons – a dry season lasting eight months and a rainy season lasting four months. The reserve includes five types of vegetation: forests, wooded savannah, and vegetation found on the ferruginous crust and in aquatic and flood areas. The forest takes the form of corridors along the Mouhoun rivers (gallery forests) while a lake extends over 660 ha, serving as a principal attraction. The flora includes 191 species with 136 genus and 52 families. Thirty-three species have been registered in the gallery forests and some about 20 for the flood and aquatic vegetation areas. The flora of the savannahs and open forests include about 100 species, while the vegetation on the ferruginous crust approaches 70 species and about 40 species for the fallow land areas. Wild mammals include a population of hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) divided into three families, elephants (Loxodonta Africana), West African crocodiles (Crocodylus suchus), large antelopes such as the sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), and numerous primates such as the patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas) and warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus africanus). Birdlife is represented by 160 species of water fowl, mainly kingfishers, white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) and the golden breasted Jacana (Actophilornis africanus). The lake itself hosts 34 types of fish, represented mainly by tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), catfish and African knifefish (Gymnarchus niloticus). La Mare aux Hippopotames is also a Ramsar Wetlands Site.