At least I THINK they aren't rattlers.
Posted on 04/21/2026 4:50:23 PM PDT by fidelis
COLORADO, USA — A "mega den" of rattlesnakes in Colorado is becoming active after the winter.
Thanks to a livestream that launched Monday, scientists studying the den on a craggy hillside in Colorado are learning more about these enigmatic — and often misunderstood — reptiles.
The public can also watch on the Project RattleCam website. The project is a collaboration between California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, snake removal company Central Coast Snake Services and Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
As the camera launched Monday, snake researchers said it is still a bit cold at the den, so you can expect to see a few rattlesnakes active in midday and the afternoon.
"As the days heat up, the number of snakes out will increase, and we have a long and busy May to look forward to before the non-pregnant snakes depart for their feeding grounds," researchers said.
This is the second time the public and scientists can watch the snakes become active for the spring. The livestream first launched in the summer of 2024.
As many as 2,000 snakes spend the winter at the rookery on private land at an undisclosed location in Colorado. Dozens of pregnant snakes spend the summer there as they prepare to give birth and care for the babies.
There are 36 species of rattlesnakes, most of which inhabit the United States. They range across nearly all states and are especially common in the Southwest. These being studied are prairie rattlesnakes, which can be found in much of the central and western U.S. and into Canada and Mexico.
Prairie rattlesnakes are most active between April and September. In the springtime and fall, they're active during the day, while they become more nocturnal during hot summer months.
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At least I THINK they aren't rattlers.
Makes it easier to kill many at once.
He who made kittens put snakes in the grass. Geez....those guys sure blend in with their surroundings
I have a plethora of different reptiles and they have hybridized and are larger than normal. One is the rattle headed copper moccasin - the biggest and baddest.
I was thinking..
Shotgun. Then, back to sleep.
As deadly as they can be, rattlesnakes are near and dear to Arizona culture and are respected by nature lovers. We even have place names, businesses, and sports teams named after them!
YOU NEVER WANT TO RUN ACROSS A ‘MOJAVE GREEN”
THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE & THEY WILL COME AT YOU WITH SURPRISING SPEED.
SEEN THAT FOR MYSELF.
What’s the fun in that?
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