This paper deals with the influence of temperature (between 0 and 99°C) and strain rate (between 3.10-4 to 0.3% sec-1) on the transverse behaviour of wood. For this purpose, two sets of radial compression tests were carried out on water-saturated samples of tropical species. The first set evidenced the drastic change of mechanical properties with temperature which is an outstanding feature of wood due to its polymeric nature. The purpose of the second set was to evaluate the influence of strain rate and to use the time-temperature equivalence to extrapolate the results at high strain rate. Experimental data were not sufficient so we used a rheological model to describe relaxation phenomenon and thermal activation.