Live broadcast of a vast rattlesnake dwelling, teeming with thousands of specimens.
If you're craving more drama than Vanderpump Rules serves up, feast your eyes on the California Polytechnic State University's electrifying reality show: a live feed of a "mega den" of prairie rattlesnakes!
Since July 11, this educational team has kept viewers hooked with a live, adrenaline-pumping broadcast featuring thousands of venomous rattlers, many of whom are expecting, engaging in their day-to-day rattlesnake routines. By day, most activities seem to involve lying around and soaking up the sun, but swift-eyed spectators may catch a glimpse of the infrequent, action-packed defensive behavior against invading predators or snakes emerging from their hiding places to slurp up rain.
As summer reaches its pinnacle, these slithering serpents usually give birth to their offspring, significantly boosting the mega den's population. Unlike many snake species, rattlesnakes don't lay eggs but deliver live babies, up to 13 at a time.
The live feed is part of Project RattleCam, a collaborative venture between CPSU, Central Coast Snake Services, and Dickinson College. The goal is to raise awareness about rattlesnakes' ecological significance and shed light on their body temperature maintenance, water conservation, and sunburn avoidance tactics.
The den, nestled on a secret property in Colorado, can be accessed via the Project RattleCam website or YouTube. Viewers are encouraged to share their observations, like the nocturnal rodent intrusions they've already spotted. In September, male snakes are predicted to return from their hunts, triggering a grand hibernation of the writhing ball of snakes, putting the feed into a temporary hibernation of its own until spring.
The team has previously granted the public a closer view of the Colorado mega hive through a static camera, capturing a time-lapse feed every five minutes. However, the new solar-powered video camera offers a richer, more detailed insight into the snakes' habits and behavior.
"Through this livestream, we can collect valuable data on wild rattlesnakes without disturbing them, fostering unbiased scientific discovery," said Emily Taylor, the project's leader and a Cal Poly biological sciences professor, in a media statement. "Moreover, the public can witness wild rattlesnakes in their natural behavior, dispelling the misleading portrayals often displayed on television shows depicting rattling, defensive, and agitated snakes interacting with human provocateurs."
The feed can be somewhat mundane during peak sunlight hours, so the researchers advise viewers to catch the soap-opera-like drama on a nature live feed during the morning and twilight hours.
- The live feed of the rattlesnake mega den, facilitated by Project RattleCam, can be accessed via the website or YouTube.
- Rattlesnakes, unlike many snake species, deliver live babies, usually around the time summer reaches its peak.
- Emily Taylor, the project's leader and a Cal Poly biological sciences professor, stated that the livestream offers a chance for unbiased scientific discovery and dispels misconceptions about rattlesnakes.
- To catch the most drama, viewers are advised to tune into the nature live feed during the morning and twilight hours, as the feed can be relatively quiet during peak sunlight hours.
