CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A local college and a West Coast university teamed up to bring a round-the-clock live stream of a rattlesnake den in Central Pennsylvania.
Project RattleCam’s latest livestream installation shows an undisclosed, remote location in Central Pennsylvania, teaming with Timber rattlesnakes. According to Dickinson College, the new channel will be live every day through the fall.
Dickinson College said the science project is a partnership with Cal Poly in Southern California. The newest livestream is the project’s third, following one in California and another in Colorado.
“Like the other livestreaming cameras within Project RattleCam, the Pennsylvania camera provides scientists and the general public a unique window into the ecology and behavior of this secretive species,” said Scott Boback, a Dickinson biology professor and co-director of Project RattleCam. “The timber rattlesnake exhibits several features that make it unique among snakes generally and rattlesnakes in particular. It possesses one of the largest geographic ranges, extending into northern latitudes, and is probably one of the top five largest rattlesnake species in the world.”
Rattlecam
Rattlecam
Rattlecam
According to Dickinson College, the Timber rattlesnake is native to the Eastern U.S. and was listed as endangered and threatened in 12 out of the 30 states it occupies. The snakes are venomous, but highly docile creatures that prefer to avoid confrontation.
“Although we know a great deal about certain aspects of timber rattlesnake biology, we are still discovering novel behaviors,” Boback said. “Just last year, researchers described a potentially new form of communication in timber rattlesnakes that includes rapid, tactile head vibrations between individuals.”
The live camera can be viewed here.
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