Project RattleCam, the Cal Poly-based camera offering a 24/7 live view of rattlesnakes, captured the moments a snake was born, according to a press release.
The project, started in 2020, was founded by researchers from Cal Poly, Central Coast Snake Services, and Dickinson College. The website offers a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of snakes in California, Pennsylvania and Colorado, inviting the public to observe the animals on a personal level.
On Sept. 8, the cameras captured the latest in a series of rattlesnake births from a Pennsylvania den.
“There is literally a handful of people in the world that have seen rattlesnake pups being born from their mother,” said Scott Boback, a Dickinson biology professor and co-director of Project RattleCam. “After spending the whole summer getting to know the individual snakes, viewers, including me, were overwhelmed with joy to be able to see the delivery. It’s a tremendous gift to be able to watch timber rattlesnake pups during their first few days of life.”
Researchers hope that moments like these will soften the public opinion of rattlesnakes, dismantling the negative association.
“By showing rattlesnakes watching over their babies, Project RattleCam is shifting people's perception about rattlesnakes, making them realize that they are not threatening animals and that they deserve to be loved too,” said Océane Da Cunha, a Cal Poly Frost Postdoctoral Research Fellow working with Taylor.
In addition to offering an intimate glimpse into the snakes’ lives, the research gathered from the highly-monitored surveillance system has allowed the RattleCam team to learn more about the details of newborn snakes, especially in their first few days of life.
Cal Poly biological sciences graduate student Anthony DiMeglio has focused heavily on understanding the relationships between mother and baby snakes.
“Cuddling is a common rattlesnake behavior, which provides baby snakes protection,” DiMeglio said. “King snakes are a predator of rattlesnakes, but in general they wouldn’t eat an adult because that’s too big. King snakes do target babies though.”
As the project heads into its sixth season of rattlesnake coverage, some of the first snakes covered are beginning to have babies of their own, capturing the cycle of life for the internet to see.
“Seeing brand new Timber Rattlesnake babies basking in the sun and exploring their new world is a huge privilege and endlessly fascinating,” said Emily Taylor, a Cal Poly biological sciences professor and co-director of Project RattleCam.
