Scientists recently installed a webcam inside a Colorado rattlesnake den with up to 2,000 snakes living inside. Theresearchers hope to shed light on these misunderstood creatures and say that rattlesnakes have an unfairly bad reputation but are social animals and good mothers.
A “mega den” with this many snakes may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the 24/7 webcam is offering a viewing feast for scientists and snake fans alike who wish to see more behind the private lives of rattlesnakes.
The site of the den is on private land in northern Colorado. It’s on a hillside with many rocky crevices where snakes can stay warm and hide from predators.
“This is a huge den for rattlesnakes, one of the biggest we know,” said Emily Taylor, a biology professor at California Polytechnic State University leading the Project RattleCam research, told The Guardian.
The Cal Poly researchers set up the webcam in May, using their experience from a previous rattlesnake den webcam in California. Taylor said the exact location in Colorado is kept secret to prevent visits from snake lovers or haters.
The high-elevation Colorado rattlesnakes stay in the den during winter and come out in spring for a short active period, unlike rattlesnakes in the southwest. Currently, only pregnant females are in the den, while males move to nearby lower areas.
Great mothers
In August, the babies, called pups, will be born. Unlike most reptiles, rattlesnakes do not hatch from eggs but are born alive. Also, unlike other snakes, rattlesnake mothers care for their young, protecting them from predators. Sometimes, they even care for others’ young. “Rattlesnakes are actually really good mothers. People don’t know that,” Taylor said.
The webcam helps scientists watch snake behaviour without disturbing them. Online viewers also help scientists by reporting events they miss or providing local knowledge. “It’s a group effort, a community science effort, that we couldn’t do on our own as scientists,” Taylor said.
Sometimes, there’s excitement on the camera. Red-tailed hawks circle above, waiting to catch a meal. Once, a magpie caught a baby rattlesnake. Taylor expects more activity after the pups are born and even more in September as snakes return from surrounding areas for winter.
Underdogs
Rattlesnakes are often seen as creepy and dangerous, but Taylor noted that the webcam shows them to be social animals who don’t seek to be aggressive.
“I try to speak up for the underdog and show people that rattlesnakes have this side that’s really worthy of our admiration,” said Taylor.
Live animal cameras have been popular among the public since the dawn of the internet. This unusual webcam, dubbed the Fish Doorbell, was set up in a canal in the Netherlands and allows viewers to watch for fish that want to enter a closed gate. And, of course, trail cams always provide not just valuable insights into animal behaviour but plenty of laughs too, like this bear taking selfies.
You can watch the hidden lives of rattlesnakes on the Project Rattlecam website.
[via the guardian]
