This is a cross-published piece with KCPR, more information can be found here.
In an undisclosed den in Colorado, hundreds of rattlesnakes live in community together. The snakes there have groups they frequent, individuals they avoid.
Many of the snakes have names, distinguished by the unique patterns on their back which vary from rattlesnake to rattlesnake. Some snakes have fans and groups of mourners when they pass.
The only consistent human contact these snakes have is through being observed via YouTube live stream. Project RattleCam, founded in 2021 by Cal Poly professor Emily Taylor and Scott Boback of Dickinson College, provides YouTube live streams of rattlesnake dens in both Colorado and California.
In the winter, the snakes began their hibernation process, resulting in less activity on the RattleCam livestream. Because of this, the camera operates seasonally, typically April to November.
The cameras are primarily operated by Cal Poly students who zoom and pan, showing 21,800 subscribers the various angles and snakes in the dens. Students also reply to questions that appear in the YouTube live chat answering questions and correcting misinformation about the rattlesnakes.
Through Project RattleCam’s work, Taylor, a biology professor at Cal Poly since 2005, is hoping to dispel the harmful stereotypes perpetuated about rattlesnakes in the media.
Often, rattlesnakes are depicted in popular media as being aggressive, stressed out, and primed to bite humans at all times. Taylor says this couldn’t be further than the truth.
“What you see actually, on the RattleCam, is that these snakes are just curled up, behaving peacefully, and that they don’t want to be bothered by us. We just need to give them some distance and some respect,” she said.
Stella Raymond, a biological sciences graduate student, is one of the students working to not only operate the cameras, but to help counter harmful stereotypes.
“So much of what people know about snakes comes from fear. We want to change that by just letting people watch. No fear, no drama, just real life,” Raymond said.
Raymond first became inspired to join Project RattleCam in her herpetology class with Taylor, a course that involves hands-on field work where students get to learn about various herps in SLO country through trips with their classmates and Taylor.
Through this class and her studies at Cal Poly, Raymond began to realize the importance of Project RattleCam in that she gets to share the importance of her work in herpetology with others.
“Cal Poly gave me the chance to do hands-on research from my first year, and now I want to give that back — to help others find their place in this kind of work and see that science is for everyone,” Raymond said.
Project RattleCam has a sprawling community, one that stretches far beyond the reaches of California and Colorado. Raymond said people as far as Montreal visit the RattleCam live stream to check out the snakes.
“We have volunteers from all over who help us control the cameras twelve hours a day. It’s such a collaborative project, and it shows how technology can bring science to anyone who’s curious,” Raymond said.
Since the California camera was established in 2021, the team has accrued a significant amount of data. Many community members are eager to contribute to Project RattleCam however they can, often processing the data the team has gathered. But through these links that RattleCam forms with the people who watch the livestreams, something deeper occurs.
“It’s not just about data anymore, it’s about connection. People come together to watch these snakes live their lives, and that’s powerful,” Raymond said.
The community connection that Project RattleCam fosters became especially clear when Pansy, a viewer favorite snake, passed away on camera.
“The community was heartbroken,” Raymond said. “People were writing messages about how sad they were. You don’t often see that kind of empathy for snakes, and it’s incredible.”
Although it’s difficult to quantify, Taylor says people consistently report their surprise at the docile behavior the snakes display in the livestream. Often, viewer’s opinions of snakes are altered drastically.
Project RattleCam is able to reach some 4.4 million viewers through their YouTube channel. With each new viewer comes a chance to reverse the ever prevalent perception the public has about rattlesnakes.
“It’s wild to see people genuinely caring for these animals — talking about them like old friends, checking in on them daily,” Raymond said. There’s such a sense of community and compassion that’s grown out of this project.”