Current:Home > ScamsColorado rattlesnake 'mega-den' webcam shows scores of baby snakes born in recent weeks -BrightFutureFinance
Colorado rattlesnake 'mega-den' webcam shows scores of baby snakes born in recent weeks
View
Date:2025-04-14 02:22:39
The wait is over. There's new additions to the families of rattlesnakes in a Colorado mega-den.
The northern Colorado rattlesnake den complex, described as a "mega-den," is one of two monitored by researchers at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. With the arrival of baby rattlesnakes, now is a good time to check out the Project RattleCam livestream feed for the Colorado den, says Emily Taylor, the project leader and a Cal Poly biological sciences professor.
"Baby rattlesnakes will be basking with their mothers in this communal birthing area for … 1-2 months before snakes enter winter hibernation," Taylor told USA TODAY.
One photo shared with USA TODAY showed a rattlesnake named Thea babysitting other baby snakes. "We have seen babysitting many times on the RattleCam," said Max Roberts, one of biological sciences grad students in Cal Poly's Physiological Ecology of Reptiles Laboratory helping oversee the project.
"Note that Thea has a very large, thick body in the photo, so we know that it is pregnant and that the babies snuggling with her are not her own," Roberts told USA TODAY.
Video:Watch as time-lapse footage captures solar arrays reflecting auroras, city lights from space
More about the baby rattlesnakes on the Colorado RattleCam
The first baby rattlers were spotted on Aug. 22 "and we have been seeing more and more babies as females continue to give birth over the last few weeks," Roberts said. "We expect the last of the pregnant females to give birth in early to mid-September, although the snakes will likely stay surface active through early October."
It's uncertain how many snakes inhabit the den, Roberts said. "We don't know the total number of pregnant females, (so) we can't say for sure how many babies will be born this year," he said.
"On average, each female gives birth to around 8 pups, so that will end up being a lot of baby snakes," Roberts said. "The full number of snakes with babies included is likely not 2,000 and is closer to 1,000 or several hundred."
How to view baby rattlesnakes on the RattleCam
Go to Cal Poly's Project RattleCam web page and you will find:
- The Colorado Rattlecam Livestream of a Prairie Rattlesnake rookery runs 24-7 from May to October.
- The California Rattlesnake Rookery Livestream, which monitors a snake den on the central coast of California, runs 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day from July through October.
The site also has links to YouTube feeds so you can chat about the snakes.
The story behind the RattleCam
The Cal Poly researchers installed the first RattleCam in California in summer 2021, as part of a way to educate people about snakes and to be less fearful of them. The Colorado webcam went live in May 2024.
You can meet some of the Colorado snakes on the Project RattleCam site. You can also watch video highlights including night vision clips on the YouTube channel; other highlights are on the Project RattleCam site.
Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.
What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
veryGood! (19)
Related
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Bath & Body Works candle removed from stores for resemblance to KKK hood being sold on eBay
- Wild caracal cat native to Africa and Asia found roaming Chicago suburb
- 'We Live in Time' review: A starry cancer drama that should have been weepier
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- What's new in the 'new' Nissan Z vs. old Nissan 370Z?
- How 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage' mirrors real-life wedding, baby for its stars
- Mortgage company will pay over $8M to resolve lending discrimination allegations
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- See Kelli Giddish's Sweet Law & Order: SVU Reunion With Mariska Hargitay—Plus, What Rollins' Future Holds
Ranking
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- SpaceX accuses California board of bias against Musk in decisions over rocket launches
- San Jose State volleyball at the center of another decision on forfeiting
- Eva Mendes has a message about food dyes in cereal. People are mad, but is she right?
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Kristen Bell Admits to Sneaking NSFW Joke Into Frozen
- Supporting Children's Education: Mark's Path of Philanthropy
- 2012 Fashion Trends Are Making a Comeback – Here’s How to Rock Them Today
Recommendation
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Breanna Stewart and her wife Marta Xargay receive homophobic threats after Game 1 of WNBA Finals
Grey's Anatomy Alum Sarah Drew Slams Mean and Unjust Firing From Show
Unbearable no more: Washington's pandas are back! 5 fun and furry facts to know
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Emily Osment Reveals Role Brother Haley Joel Osment Had at Her Wedding
Two SSI checks are coming in November, but none in December. You can blame the calendar.
Idaho will begin using deep veins as backup for lethal injection executions, officials say