A continuously operating webcam is providing images of a massive rattlesnake den in Colorado to scientists and the public.
The massive rattlesnake den in Colorado, USA. (Video: Guardian).
The rattlesnake den contains approximately 2,000 snakes and is located in a remote area in northern Colorado, on a rocky hillside where the snakes can stay warm and hide from predators. “This is a very large rattlesnake den. One of the largest we know of,” said Emily Taylor, a biology professor at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), who leads the RattleCam research project, on July 16.
The research team at Cal Poly installed the webcam last May. Taylor stated that the exact location in Colorado is kept secret to prevent snake enthusiasts or haters from coming to the site.
The webcam allows scientists to observe the snakes’ behavior without disturbing them. Meanwhile, online viewers can inform scientists about events they might have missed or provide information based on local environmental knowledge. One interesting event captured by the camera was a hawk catching a baby rattlesnake.
Rattlesnakes do not lay eggs; they give birth to live young.
This rattlesnake population lives at high altitude, hibernating in dens during winter and emerging in spring, operating for shorter periods compared to southwestern rattlesnakes. When it rains, rattlesnakes curl up to collect water to drink using cups formed from their own bodies. At this time of year, only pregnant females remain in the den while males head to lower ground.
In August, the young will be born. Unlike most reptiles, rattlesnakes give birth to live young instead of laying eggs.
Another difference from other snake species is that mother rattlesnakes care for their young, protecting them from predators and using their bodies to shield them. Sometimes, rattlesnakes even care for the offspring of other rattlesnakes. “Rattlesnakes are actually very good mothers. People don’t know that,” Taylor mentioned.
