By Megan Strauss, editor
A few months ago, I found myself glued to a live stream, excitedly anticipating the birth of a litter of pups. I checked in every couple of days, morning and night. These were not golden retrievers or labradoodles I was waiting for, but a slithering pile of rattlesnakes. I was watching Project RattleCam.
Project RattleCam was co-founded in 2020 by Professor Emily Taylor, a reptile expert who wanted to reveal rattlesnakes’ secret lives and help show their gentle nature to the world. Emily and her team use cameras to monitor what rattlesnakes eat, the predators they face, when their babies are born, how they parent, and other snaky behavior.
This year, the cameras were pointed at two dens (also called rookeries) in Colorado and California from May/July through October. Dens are where the snakes gather to mate, give birth, and take care of their young. The Colorado RattleCam focused on a mega den of about 2000 snakes and was on 24/7 thanks to built-in infrared tech. (Learn about the RattleCam tech here.)
Unlike most snakes, rattlesnakes don’t lay eggs. They give birth to live young, known as pups. And the cameras were there to capture all the action!
After tuning into the Colorado RattleCam, I had many questions. For starters, do the cameras bother the snakes? Snake researcher Owen Bachhuber reassured me, saying, “The cameras do make a slight noise when they move, and the snakes can see them moving. They seem to continue with their lives like nobody’s watching, though.”
When would the first babies be born? This year, the first pups emerged on August 22. According to the Project RattleCam FAQ page, western and prairie rattlesnakes typically give birth to about eight babies.
August 29: I took this screenshot of pups cuddled up with an adult at the Colorado cam site. What a lot of beautiful babies!
At night, I noticed little insects (circled in yellow) flitting around and landing on the snakes.
So I asked about this, thinking maybe these were flies or mosquitoes and wondering if biting insects pester rattlesnakes, too. According to Owen: “The insects you saw are flies in the family Psychodidae. We have seen some females feeding on the snakes’ blood. Most of the flies we see are males, which may be trying to find mates.”
Owen even shared a video of the “flies dancing on the snakes.”
Rebranding rattlesnakes
Artist Mike Essa created this adorable project logo featuring a mother snake and her young. Look closely at the tail tips of these pups, and you will notice they start life with a “button.” New rattle segments are added as the babies grow and shed their skin.
Owen and the team at Project RattleCam want us to understand that “Rattlesnakes are elegant, fascinating, and important for the environment. The more we learn about them, the more we love them.”
I couldn’t agree more. Working as a field biologist in rattlesnake country, I developed a healthy respect for rattlers nestled under sagebrush and learned to give them space. Watching RattleCam live has given me a new appreciation for these snakes and the complex social lives they lead.
Now that the rattlesnakes are hibernating, the cameras have been turned off. However, I know I will return when the next Northern Hemisphere summer rolls around, eagerly waiting for the new pups to debut on camera. I encourage you to tune in then.
For anyone keen to learn more about rattlesnakes, the project RattleCam website is a must-visit destination. You will find answers to your questions about rattlesnake natural history, the project tech, and more. You can also meet individual snakes, recognized by their unique skin markings.
Rattlesnake citizen science!
For kids, families, and school classes that want to get involved, check out the opportunities to name a snake and submit interesting things you’ve spotted on the live stream.
Learn More
The Project RattleCam livestream was created by scientists from Cal Poly, Central Coast Snake Services, and Dickinson College with help from Donors. Professor Emily Taylor and Associate Professor Scott Boback co-founded Project RattleCam. Owen Bachhuber, interviewed for this story, is a graduate student at California Polytechnic State University.
