Dr. Stout points to an area in the northwest corner. \u201cLake Claire,\u201d he says, \u201cis actually two sinkholes that coalesced. It\u2019s home to bass, bluegill, gar, soft-shell turtles and the occasional alligator.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gray squirrels, raccoons, sandhill cranes and the North American river otter also call UCF home, as do creepy creatures like the evening bat, striped newt and the two-toed amphiuma, a snakelike salamander that grows up to 4 feet in length and has four vestigial legs, each with two useless toes.<\/p>\n
A number of threatened or protected species also make their homes on the UCF campus, including the sand skink and the gopher tortoise. The master plan for the university specifically designates some areas as preserves, resulting in significant areas of the campus remaining untouched. These areas, Stout points out, offer \u201cexcellent examples of traditional Central Florida ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sand pine scrub in the northwest corner of the campus is one of the oldest and most endangered habitats in the state,\u201d he says. This area is home to such wildlife as the Florida mouse, scrub lizard and gray fox. And eagle-eyed visitors can commonly spot an array of birds, from the red-bellied woodpecker to the red-shouldered hawk, in the treetops.<\/p>\n
Gone but not Forgotten<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>While it has been years since wild hogs were spotted on campus, this land was home to them at one time too. The Florida scrub jay has also left UCF. \u201cThey are gone,\u201d Stout says. \u201cThey moved out of Orange and Seminole counties.\u201d<\/p>\n Another former campus resident is the indigo snake, a \u201chuge but gentle\u201d species which preys on other snakes and helps control the population of more dangerous species, including the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Their loss, Stout says, \u201cis a real shame.\u201d<\/p>\n From Virgin Wilderness to Outdoor Classroom<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>The common perception that UCF acreage was predominantly cattle farms prior to the development of the university is only partly true. This land has been inhabited for centuries and used in a variety of ways.<\/p>\n \u201cMany years ago, I met a man who was one of the original planners of the campus,\u201d Stout says. \u201cHe showed me to an area around Lake Lee that had these big flat tiles\u2014the remnants of an old homestead\u2014that created a beach-like effect on the lakeshore. This was not virgin wilderness before the campus was built,\u201d he says. Excitedly, he points to the north shore of Lake Lee. \u201cThis was a Confederate rest and rehabilitation camp during the Civil War.\u201d<\/p>\n Pointing to another area, he continues, \u201cMuch of this land used to be part of the turpentining industry. They collected resin from the longleaf pines and used the pine tar to waterproof ships, ropes and sails for the Navy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, and over here,\u201d Stout says, referring to a small parcel of land east of the cypress dome, a stand of old cypress trees that grow tallest in the middle, \u201cwas almost certainly a homestead. There are sabal palms in that area as well as other parts of the campus, and this is not sabal palm habitat,\u201d he says adamantly. \u201cI am sure that they originated as part of planned landscaping.\u201d<\/p>\n For several minutes, Stout stands before the large map, clearly lost in thought. Then, quietly, he says, \u201cYou know, this campus has everything you would want in Central Florida. It\u2019s the perfect place for an ecologist to teach. I have a classroom right outside the door.\u201d \u2726<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/20\/files\/2012\/11\/jack-stout.jpg\" "\\"jack-stout\\"")