Now you can watch hundreds of rattlesnakes in a ‘mega-den’ – from the safety of your computer

Jack Guy, CNN

(CNN) — A caller live-streaming webcam allows viewers to spot wrong a alleged “mega-den” – location to hundreds of rattlesnakes.

The unrecorded stream, which is disposable to position connected RattleCam.org, is tally by researchers from California Polytechnic State University, according to a connection from nan university, published Monday.

Situated successful an undisclosed location connected backstage onshore successful Colorado, nan den attracts rattlesnakes because it allows them to hide and shelters them from nan elements.

Viewers tin expect to spot dozens of pregnant rattlesnakes basking and interacting arsenic they hold to springiness commencement later this summer.

Lucky visitors to nan website whitethorn besides spot uncommon events for illustration predators attempting to onslaught nan rattlesnakes, and thirsty snakes drinking rainwater that has collected betwixt their coiled bodies, nan assemblage said.

Morning and early evening are nan champion times to watch, it added.

A upwind position and camera astatine nan ‘mega-den’ – location to hundreds of rattlesnakes. | Emily Taylor/Project RattleCam/AP via CNN Newsource

“This livestream allows america to cod information connected chaotic rattlesnakes without disturbing them, facilitating unbiased technological discovery,” Emily Taylor, task lead and a biologic sciences professor astatine nan university, said successful nan statement.

“But moreover much important is that members of nan nationalist tin watch chaotic rattlesnakes behaving arsenic they people do, helping to combat nan biased imagery we spot connected tv shows of rattling, protect and stressed snakes interacting pinch group who are provoking them.”

Taylor said pups will commencement to beryllium calved successful August and will enactment successful nan den pinch their mothers until nan return of antheral snakes from summertime hunting grounds successful September.

The cameras will past beryllium turned disconnected while nan snakes are hibernating complete nan winter, pinch nan unrecorded watercourse group to resume adjacent spring.

“We dream to yet instal cameras connected snake aggregations (group gathering) each complete nan world to thief america amended understand nan behaviors of these complex, societal animals,” Taylor added successful nan statement.

Rattlesnakes are venomous “pit vipers” pinch heat-detecting pits connected their heads.

There are an estimated 33 rattlesnake species. They are adaptable, surviving successful forests, grasslands, swamps and deserts crossed ample swathes of North and South America, from confederate Canada to cardinal Argentina.

But considering their range, deaths from rattlesnake bites are rather uncommon successful nan United States, successful portion owed to their reclusive nature.

The rattlesnake “actually views america arsenic a predator; we’re a ample animal that could eat him. And they’re acrophobic of us,” Ted Clamp, laminitis of nan Edisto Island Serpentarium in South Carolina, told CNN successful July 2022.

As a result, rattlesnakes thin to enactment hidden.

“When we brushwood a snake connected nan move, he’s usually looking for nutrient aliases looking for a mate aliases looking for shelter,” said Clamp.

“Otherwise, he stays hidden because they’re truthful susceptible to each sorts of predators.”