Species of Cypress Lake
Cypress Lake is a managed wetland abundant with various types of species of flora and fauna. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has the “wildest” campus in Louisiana. That’s according to the National Wildlife Federation’s campus habitat guide. UL Lafayette is one of 85 colleges and universities, and the only university in the state, profiled in “The Campus Wild: How College and University Green Landscapes Provide Havens for Wildlife and ‘Lands-on’ Experiences for Students.” The guide singles out schools that “are playing a dynamic role in protecting wildlife and restoring habitats,” according to the The National Wildlife Federation.
Cypress Lake is home to:
- Alligators
- Bullfrogs
- A 50-pound alligator snapping turtle
- Yellow and red-bellied turtles
- Soft-shell turtles
- Garfish
- Bass
- Carp
- Bream
- Great Egrets
- Blue and Green Herons
- Hawks
- Water Birds
- and more species that come and go with the seasons
Cypress lake is a protected area of campus and feeding wildlife or fishing is not allowed.
The rare sighting of the Alligator Snapping Turtle
Students and associate professor of Biology, Brad Moon, had a rare chance to study the female 50-pound alligator snapping turtle who managed to crawl out of Cypress lake after a heavy rain. The snapping turtle was estimated to be betweeen 30-50 years old and measured 30 inches long and 16 inches wide. Snapping turtles can live to up to 100 years and spend most of their lives underwater.
Moon consulted with the state Wildlife and Fisheries Department and the university’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety before returning the snapping turtle to the lake. Undergraduate and graduate students, some of whom are studying herpetology, the branch of zoology that centers on amphibians, were able to learn from her before she was returned to the lake.“In all the years I’ve been teaching, we’ve never had the opportunity to see one up close like that,” said Moon, who’s taught at the university for about 15 years. Read more about this story here.
For more Videos Check out the video playlist: Plants & animals in Cypress Lake