Video: Huge Colorado Snake Den Now Has Livessssstream

Need a new reality dating show? Prairie rattlesnakes reproduce from mid-July to early September.

July 16, 2024

A snake rookery in northern Colorado is getting the reality TV treatment. Unsplash/Michael Jerrard

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Looking for a safe way to check out snakes in their wild habitat? In an undisclosed location in northern Colorado, there's a 24/7 livestream of a rookery in which "hundreds" of prairie rattlesnakes are slithering around.

Project RattleCam, a collaboration between professors at California Polytechnic State University and Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, is currently broadcasting rattlesnake rookeries in California and Colorado all day, every day, for free on YouTube. The Colorado rookery has been shown online since May, with RattleCam estimates ranging from "hundreds" to "likely thousands" of snakes calling it home.

"At this rookery, hundreds of snakes overwinter, shed their skins, and bask in the sun. Dozens of pregnant snakes spend the summer here preparing to give birth and care for their babies," a video description reads.

According to Colorado Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, prairie rattlesnakes are active during the day, so you might see some action. If not, the RattleCam has plenty of highlights of snake interactions with other wildlife, feeding and more.

And if you tune in long enough, you might even see some snake sexy time, as prairie rattlesnakes reproduce from mid-July to early September.

Don't let your new interest in prairie rattlers push you into doing something stupid, though. According to wildlife experts, these snakes often remain motionless and rely on camouflage when approached, and will strike when spooked or stepped on. Although snakes can't hear, they can feel ground vibrations particularly well — so local wildlife experts recommend that Colorado hikers keep their eyes open and stay alert during the summer months when rattlesnakes are most active.

The livestream will run until October, according to Project RattleCam, which encourages viewers to submit interesting observations and "adopt" certain snakes by naming them and sending donations.

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Thomas Mitchell has been the news editor of Westword since February 2024. He's been with the publication since 2017 and was formerly its cannabis editor. He’s earned numerous awards and accolades for his work, including placing second for the Marijuana Enterprise Reporting Award from the Colorado Society of Professional Journalists in 2018; being named a Top Cannabis Journalist by Leafbuyer in 2020; and placing first for the College Sports Writing Award from the Arizona Press Club in 2014. His prior work experience includes Arizona Republic, Inman News and Fox Sports.

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