Cal Poly rattlesnake project has another secret live cam. Here’s how to watch
A Cal Poly partnership is shedding a new light on a “secretive” American rattlesnake species.
Project RattleCam is a livestream video partnership between Cal Poly and Pennsylvania’s Dickinson College. The project allows observers to watch rattlesnakes via YouTube livestreams — now in three different states, according to a news release.
On May 18, the project established its newest camera, which will run for 24 hours a day through the fall, the release said. The new camera is located in an unnamed location in Pennsylvania, accompanying the project’s two other camera locations — one in Colorado and one in California.
The Pennsylvania camera has captured timber rattlesnakes — which are native to the East Coast and endangered or threatened in 12 of the 30 states it resides in — living in their natural habitats, the release said.
The camera has captured the snakes curled up with their young and slithering about in a rocky outcropping.
Researchers hope the cameras will help educate the public about rattlesnakes and provide for additional observation and learning opportunities.
Dickinson biology professor and co-director of Project RattleCam Scott Boback described the species as “secretive,” saying the cameras could give observers a unique look into the snakes’ habits.
“The timber rattlesnake exhibits several features that make it unique among snakes generally and rattlesnakes in particular,” he said in the release. “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.”
Emily Taylor, Cal Poly biological sciences professor and co-director of Project RattleCam, said in the release that members of the public can help scientists collect information about the snakes.
“It’s really important to me that people know that this isn’t just a camera,” she said. “This is a community science project where people can act as researchers from their own homes.”
Project RattleCam has also developed curricular materials for third- through fifth-grade classrooms, the release said.
Researchers also hope to educate the public about the misconceptions of rattlesnakes and encourage people to avoid hurting snakes, which in turn can avoid snake-related injuries and deaths, the release said.
The snakes are venomous pit vipers but are generally docile, the release said — only striking in self-defense.
“By allowing people to watch their natural behavior from the comfort of their own homes, we can dispel some of these myths,” Taylor said. “Our previous research from our Colorado cam showed that watching rattlesnakes engaging in normal behaviors can change people’s minds about them and cause people to become more comfortable around them, and that’s our goal.”
The RattleCam livestreams can be found on YouTube and on the project’s website: rattlecam.org.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Cal Poly rattlesnake project has another secret live cam. Here’s how to watch."
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