Watch ‘mega den’ of rattlesnakes on this live Colorado webcam
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Snake enthusiasts can now watch a "mega den" with as many as 2,000 rattlesnakes online at any time – even at night.
The webcam, which was set up by Project RattleCam in May, is a viewing platform for fans and scientists whose observations help to broaden the understanding of the reptiles.
The camera is set up at a remote location on a private land in northern Colorado on a hillside where the snakes can keep warm a hide from predators.
"This is a big, big den for rattlesnakes. This is one of the biggest ones we know of," Emily Taylor, a California Polytechnic State University biology professor leading the Project RattleCam research, told The Associated Press Tuesday.
FILE: Rattlesnake (Credit: CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)
The high-elevation Colorado rattlesnakes take refuge in the den for winter and emerge in the spring for a short season of activity compared to rattlesnakes in the Southwest.
While rattlesnakes may get a bum rap as scary and threatening, Taylor said they actually don’t go out of their way to be aggressive.
"I try to speak up for the underdog and to show people that rattlesnakes have this other side that's really worthy of our admiration," said Taylor.
Also unlike other snakes, rattlesnake mothers care for their young, protecting them against predators and shielding them with their bodies. Sometimes rattlesnakes even care for the young of others.
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"Rattlesnakes are actually really good mothers. People don't know that," Taylor said.
This time of year, only pregnant female snakes are at the den while males and non-pregnant females move into the lower country nearby.
In August, the babies will be born. They're called pups and, unlike nearly all other reptiles, they do not hatch from eggs but are born alive.
You can watch the rattlesnake webcam here.
This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed.