Maybe you’ve never seen one in person, but rattlesnakes are a big part of the natural habitat on the Central and South Coasts.
Now, thanks to a research project, you can safely see them in their habitat from your home or phone.
Rattlers create fear for many people. But, researchers say they are misunderstood and get a bad rap in popular culture.
"They're not these scary monsters that the media can make them out to be," said Emily Taylor, a biological sciences professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. "Instead, they are these really gentle creatures that are absolutely fascinating, and fun to look for in the wild. There's lots to learn about them. Rattlesnakes are defensive. They're only going to bite in self-defense. If someone doesn't see them, or they step on them, or they're hiking or gardening and put their hands underneath the plants, and there's a snake hiding there, they can bite. It sees your foot, or hand, as going after them. It's scared for its own life. In fact, when a rattlesnake rattles, that's its way of saying that it's terrified. It's kind of screaming, in a way, if you will."
Taylor and some of her students are involved in several research projects focused on helping us learn more about the snakes.
One of the most ambitious efforts is Project Rattlecam, which includes cameras focused on rattlesnake nests in California, Colorado, and Pennsylvania that allow you to see the snakes in their habitat.
"All three of the rattlesnake cameras we run are livestreaming cameras that include rattlesnake nests. A rattlesnake nest is not like a bird nest, where they build it with materials," said Taylor. "It's a place where female rattlesnakes may get together to give birth communally in the summer, sometimes called rookeries. Right now, there are all kinds of snakes at all of them. There are males, females, babies. Pretty soon, most of them are going to clear out, and pregnant females will stay behind. If we're lucky, we'll get to see them give birth in August or September."
Taylor added that one of the interesting things is watching rattlesnake moms. They don’t feed their young, but they often protect them.
"It's not just their own babies. Sometimes, in these big group settings, you'll see a big fat pregnant female snake and a bunch of tiny babies curled up with her. We think she might be 'babysitting', where she's helping to protect those little babies that might look like juicy morsels to a hawk."
The California rattlecam is somewhere in our region, as Taylor explained. It's at an undisclosed location on the Central Coast and operates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
"The best time to watch is late morning and midday. The other two cameras (Colorado and Pennsylvania) run 24/7."
Taylor said you can learn about the snakes by watching them, and contribute to the research by collecting data. Public participation is similar to the famous bald eagle cam near Big Bear that people watch online.
Some of the California rattlecam rattlers have fans.
"The California camera is near and dear to my heart. It's starting its sixth year right now," Taylor explained. "In fact, viewers name the snakes, and sort of adopt them. We see the same snakes come year after year. Right now, we have a snake named Archie."
Her team also offers a free rattlesnake removal service on the Central Coast, to make sure a snake is removed safely so neither you nor the snake gets hurt.
Taylor said California’s rattlesnake population is relatively healthy, although local populations take a hit sometimes when new developments take away their habitat.
Rattlesnakes have been in the news on the Central and South Coasts recently because we’ve had several bites, and even one death. Most of the bites have involved hikers on the snake's turf.
"It's just a tragic situation," said Taylor. "I feel so terrible for those people and their families. But, there's no issue with rattlesnakes becoming more numerous, more aggressive, or more toxic. These are just terrible coincidences."
The Cal Poly researcher said when you’re out in snake territory, the rules are simple: Watch where you walk. Watch where you put your hands. And if you see a rattlesnake, give it a wide berth.
