Expanding Colorado Rattlesnake Mega Den Reveals Pup Behaviour on Live Stream

A “mega den” of hundreds of rattlesnakes in Colorado is expanding as late summer ushers in the birth of new pups. Livestream video is giving scientists unprecedented insights into these enigmatic and often misunderstood reptiles. Researchers studying the den on a rocky hillside in Colorado are observing young rattlesnakes, known as pups, slithering over adult females on rocks crusted with lichen.

The public can also watch the live feed on the Project RattleCam website, contributing to the scientific work by helping identify individual snakes. Since the remote camera went live in May, several snakes have earned names in the chatroom, including “Woodstock,” “Thea,” and “Agent 008.” As many as 500 people at a time tune in to see the action, which recently featured a cluster of baby snakes with tiny rattles, a reminder that rattlesnakes add a segment to their rattle each time they shed their skin, which happens a couple of times a year on average.

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This 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, scientists hope to change the perception that rattlesnakes are inherently fierce and dangerous. Experts argue that these reptiles rarely bite unless provoked and are often quite the opposite.

Rattlesnakes are unique among reptiles for their parental care. They not only protect their young but also provide warmth to pups from birth until they hibernate in mid-autumn, according to Max Roberts, a CalPoly graduate student researcher. A phenomenon Roberts calls “babysitting” involves pregnant females guarding newborn snakes, even though they haven’t given birth themselves.

Up to 2,000 rattlesnakes winter at this secret location on private land, which researchers are keeping under wraps to deter trespassers. Only the pregnant females stay when the weather heats up, while others move to nearby territories. This year, scientists observed the rattlesnakes coiling to catch water and reacting to birds attempting to snatch them as prey.

Late August and early September mark the highlight of summer at the den when the rattlesnakes give birth over a roughly two-week span. Newborns instinctively know how to regulate their body temperature by moving between sun and shade, Roberts explained.

There are 36 species of rattlesnakes, most of which are found in the U.S. They range across nearly all states, being especially prevalent in the Southwest. The specific snakes under study are prairie rattlesnakes, found across the central and western U.S., and extending into Canada and Mexico. Unlike many snake species, rattlesnakes give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. The average brood size is eight, though this depends on the female’s size, Roberts noted.

Roberts is researching how temperature changes and ultraviolet sunlight impact snake behavior, while graduate student Owen Bachhuber focuses on the family and social relationships among rattlesnakes. The researchers monitor the live feed all day to observe rattlesnakes in their natural, undisturbed state.

With the Rocky Mountain summer drawing to a close, some male rattlesnakes have begun returning to the den. The camera, powered by solar and battery energy, will be switched off by November and reactivated in the spring when the snakes emerge from their “mega den” once again.