Livestream goes viral How rattlesnakes suddenly become likeable
From feared animal to internet star. The RattleCam project aims to improve the image of snakes and shows the reptiles in the livestream as close as never before.
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- A research team in the USA founds the RattleCam project to improve the tarnished image of snakes.
- A livestream shows how hundreds of rattlesnakes hibernate together and give birth to their young in spring.
- The videos suddenly went viral and users even gave the animals names.
- There is now a camera in California and one in Colorado. A third camera is due to be installed in Pennsylvania in 2026.
Images like those in this livestream are rarely seen elsewhere: Hundreds of rattlesnakes lying next to and on top of each other in the sun and small baby snakes surfing on the bodies of adults. Snakes are much more social than is often assumed.
The rattlesnakes in question gather together to hibernate. And in spring they give birth to their young together. Live. Unlike many other species, they do not lay eggs.
Better image through more knowledge
The more we learn about these animals, the less we fear them. And perhaps we will even feel a little more connected to them. This is the approach of the RattleCam project, which was launched in 2020 by biologist Emily Taylor and herpetologist Scott Boback from the USA.
The aim was to break down the negative image of snakes in society. To this end, the research team set up a camera at a rookery (maternity colony) in California so that the snakes could be observed undisturbed. The recordings were broadcast on the internet via livestream.
Snakes arouse compassion and go viral
The streams showed snakes sunbathing, moulting, giving birth or defending their territory. A second camera was installed in Colorado in 2024. The recordings were very popular with users. Videos on YouTube were viewed over 4.4 million times.
Viewers named the animals, shared their excitement and reported observations. Many comments indicate that the opinion of many people about snakes has changed for the better. This is confirmed by the results of a study published in the specialist journal "Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science".
A third camera is planned for 2026 in Pennsylvania. Those responsible are also working on developing school programs and involving the community even more closely in scientific work.
