CHEYENNE, Wyo.– A “mega den” of hundreds of rattlesnakes in Colorado is getting even bigger as late summer arrives and babies are born.
Thanks to livestream video, scientists studying the burrow on a steep hill in Colorado are learning more about these enigmatic — and often misunderstood — reptiles. They observe as the young, called pups, slide over and between adult females on lichen-encrusted rocks.
The public can also check out the Project RattleCam website and help with important work, including keeping the snakes apart. Since researchers put their remote camera online in May, several snakes have become known in a chat room and to scientists under names like “Woodstock,” “Thea” and “Agent 008.”
The project is a collaboration between California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, snake removal company Central Coast Snake Services and Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
By involving the public, the scientists hope to dispel the idea that rattlesnakes are generally fierce and dangerous. In fact, experts say they rarely bite unless threatened or provoked, and often quite the opposite.
Rattlesnakes are not only among the few reptiles that care for their young. They even take care of other people’s young. The adults protect and provide body heat to the pups from birth until they go into hibernation in mid-fall, says Max Roberts, a CalPoly graduate student researcher.
“We regularly see what we call ‘babysitting’: pregnant females that we can visibly see have not yet given birth, but are still kind of guarding the newborn snakes,” Roberts said Wednesday.
As many as 2,000 rattlesnakes spend the winter at the site on private property, which researchers keep secret to discourage intruders. Once the weather warms, only pregnant females remain, while the others disperse to nearby territories.
This year, the scientists monitoring the Colorado site observed the rattlesnakes curling up and collecting water to drink from the cups formed by their bodies. They’ve also seen how the snakes react when birds swoop in to try to grab a scaly meal.
The peak of summer is in late August and early September, when rattlesnakes give birth in about two weeks.
“As soon as they are born, they know how to move into the sun or shade to regulate their body temperature,” says Roberts.
There are 36 species of rattlesnakes, most of which are found in the US. They occur in almost all states and are especially common in the Southwest. These are prairie rattlesnakes, which are found in much of the central and western parts of the US and in Canada and Mexico.
Like other species of pit vipers, but unlike most snakes, rattlesnakes do not lay eggs. Instead, they give birth to live young. Eight is an average-sized brood, with the number depending on the size of the snake, Roberts said.
Roberts studies how temperature changes and ultraviolet sunlight affect snake behavior. Another graduate student, Owen Bachhuber, studies the family and social relationships among rattlesnakes.
The researchers watch the live feed all day long. In addition, they receive help from as many as 500 people at the same time who tune in online.
“We are interested in studying the natural behavior of rattlesnakes, free from human disturbance. What do rattlesnakes actually do when we’re not there?” said Roberts.
As the Rocky Mountain summer cools, some males have returned. In November, the solar and battery-powered camera will be turned off until next spring, when the snakes will emerge from their “mega den” again.
