Alligators, snakes, and eagles are common sights on the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) campus. According to Charles “Billy” Gunnels, a professor in the biology department and an expert in urban and behavioral ecology, their presence signals a healthy ecosystem.
“We’ve done a good job making sure we have environmental variations. We garden with native plants, which support insects and then animals. So, flowers lead to mosquitoes which lead to dragonflies which lead to fish which lead to predators,” Gunnels said. “Whether you came here or not because of the campus, you benefit from it.”
Alligators are often seen basking near water bodies such as the South Village pond and ponds near Sugden and Whitaker Halls. While they may appear intimidating, Gunnels noted that alligators are generally shy and prefer to avoid humans. He emphasized the importance of keeping a safe distance from alligators, especially if hatchlings are present since mothers can be protective. Feeding alligators is illegal because it encourages them to associate people with food, increasing risks for dangerous encounters. Warning signs are posted around areas frequented by alligators, and public safety measures include coordinated responses from the University Police Department and faculty experts.
Snakes also inhabit the campus but tend to stay out of sight due to their camouflage abilities. “We have a wide diversity of snakes, but most people will never see them,” Gunnels said. The black racer is the most commonly spotted species on campus; others include corn snakes and banded water snakes. Venomous species like cottonmouths and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are much less common.
Gunnels addressed several misconceptions about snakes: “‘They’re coming to attack me.’ They’re not. ‘They’re all venomous.’ They’re not. ‘They’re all water moccasins.’ They’re not. ‘The only good snake is a dead snake.’ That’s the only sad snake.” He explained that snakes play an important role in controlling populations of rodents, pests, and insects.
Based on more than 700 observations conducted between 2021 and 2023 by Gunnels and his team, snakes rattled only 4% of the time.
While FGCU’s mascot is an eagle, ospreys are more commonly seen on campus than bald eagles. Nests atop prominent landmarks have belonged to ospreys rather than eagles in recent years. Bald eagles prefer varied habitats with uplands, lowlands, tall trees for nesting, green spaces, and open water within several miles of their nests.
“Bald eagles do well along coastal environments and in central Florida near natural lakes all the way to the Georgia border,” Gunnels said. “They do less well in eastern Florida.” He added that while FGCU’s landscape offers ideal features for wildlife—including ponds, wetlands, forests—more extensive development strategies would be needed locally to encourage eagle nesting.
Gunnels also discussed how students and staff interact with wildlife on campus: “Animals make it clear when humans are good,” he said. Animals’ reactions indicate whether they see humans as threatening or ignorable; at FGCU most animals ignore people due to habituation—a sign that human behavior does not disturb them significantly.
With roughly 400 acres each of conservation land and developed land on its grounds FGCU aims for balance between human activity and wildlife habitat.
“There are very few places like this that have tried to balance and integrate human and non-human species,” Gunnels said. “We’ve done a pretty good job at FGCU with a lot more successes than failures. I’d love to see this model replicated.”
This article is part of a series highlighting unique aspects of FGCU’s campus.
