Discover the Gator Side: Top 9 Fun Facts About the University of Florida You Can't Miss

1. World's Largest Bat Houses

When the bat signal goes up in Gainesville, it's not a call for Batman but rather their hundreds of thousands of furry residents taking flight: The University of Florida is home to the world's largest occupied bat houses, providing a cozy abode for over 750,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats, conveniently located on the north side of Museum Road across from Lake Alice on campus.
Source => floridamuseum.ufl.edu

2. Picnic-Stealing Alligators

Picnic packers, beware: Lake Alice's crafty alligator guild may just snag your snacks! At the University of Florida, these stealthy reptilian masters have fine-tuned their food pilfering skills so much that some even lost their fear of humans: In fact, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program has caught and killed several of these skilled swamp kleptomaniacs, but remember, feeding an alligator is not only dangerous, it's illegal. So keep your sandwiches close and your picnic dates closer!
Source => gainesville.com

Discover the wild nightlife of Gainesville's unique residents as thousands of bats throw nightly parties in the world's largest occupied bat houses – it's a must-see attraction you wouldn't want to miss! 🦇🎉

=> Fun Facts about Gainesville-Florida

3. Haunted Norman Hall

Who ya gonna call? Gator Busters! Spooked students at the University of Florida might just need a paranormal investigator on speed dial due to some eerie happenings on their campus: Following urban legends and chilling witnesses, the creepy Norman Hall is believed to have haunted hospital beds and invisible children running around, laughing, and tickling people's spines with sudden chills. Certainly gives "the swamp" a whole new meaning!
Source => uff.ufl.edu

4. Student-Mascot Duo: Albert and Alberta

Shaking their tails and hitting the books: Albert and Alberta, the dynamic Gator duo who double as full-time UF students, also juggle social and charity events while finding time to pump iron as part of the Florida Mascot Program overseen by Cortnee Gilchrist, Assistant Director of Spirit Squads.
Source => floridagators.com

5. Gatorade's Bitter Origins

Breaking a sweat now quenches your thirst: Gatorade's iconic origin story traces back to the University of Florida, where a team of scientists developed the formula to replenish fluids lost by hardworking athletes. Named after the school's mascot, the Florida Gators, the initial version of this beloved sports drink left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth, literally. Despite early backlash and colorful instances of players upchucking the beverage, Gatorade became a billion-dollar success story, ultimately hydrating the inventors' bank accounts with over $1 billion in royalties by 2015.
Source => history.com

6. UF's Potato Pioneers

In a world where couch potatoes reign supreme, the University of Florida takes the humble spud's legacy to new heights: As part of a collaboration of land-grant universities, they support the U.S. Potato Genebank in preserving and researching over 11,000 potato specimens, helping to develop nutrient-rich and disease-resistant varieties, benefiting agriculture, jobs, and consumer health in the process.
Source => spudman.com

7. Treasure Trove of Maps

Searching for treasure on campus? X marks the spot at the University of Florida, where pirate cartographers would feel right at home: Boasting one of the largest academic map libraries in the United States, UF's Map and Imagery Library houses aerial photographs, atlases, antique maps, and geospatial datasets, enriching the learning experiences in agriculture, engineering, mathematics, and various natural and physical sciences.
Source => uflib.ufl.edu

8. Magical Butterfly Center

Who needs Hogwarts when you've got a real-life Chamber of Fluttering Wings? Get ready to spread your wings and unveil the magic: The University of Florida is home to the world's largest research and education center focused on butterflies and moths, the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. Boasting over 10 million specimens, the center is a hotspot for students and scientists studying biological diversity, and even houses a public-facing laboratory and the mesmerizing Butterfly Rainforest exhibit, where visitors can marvel at hundreds of free-flying butterflies from around the globe.
Source => floridamuseum.ufl.edu

9. Starbucks Overload on Campus

When Starbucks-aholics unite at the University of Florida, they're never too far from their next caffeine fix: The main campus boasts six Starbucks locations, where you can save a cool dime and Mother Earth by using a reusable mug, and also refill your reusable water bottle at the various stations, letting you avoid shelling out $1.50 at vending machines for packaged bottles.
Source => sustainable.ufl.edu