Human Interest Animals Wild Animals A 'Mega-Den' Filled with Hundreds of Rattlesnakes Is the Latest Streaming Star A northern Colorado snake den has become the focus of a livestream, thanks to its slithering residents By Marina Watts Marina Watts Marina Watts is a Digital News Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Bustle, The US Sun, Newsweek and OK! Magazine. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 16, 2024 06:17PM EDT They say reality TV is full of snakes, but this livestream really delivers. The California Polytechnic State University Bailey College of Science and Mathematics (Cal Poly) set up a high-tech solar-powered camera system in a northern Colorado rattlesnake "mega-den" to observe rattlesnake activity around the clock from May until October. Reptile lovers can join the researchers in watching the hundreds — likely thousands — of snakes living in the mega den on the den's YouTube livestream or RattleCam.org. According to a Cal Poly press release obtained by PEOPLE, Cal Poly biological sciences professor Emily Taylor said the camera system has two goals: "facilitating unbiased scientific discovery" and changing the public's perception of rattlesnakes. July 1 image of the Colorado snake den. Project RattleCam The livestream will help "combat the biased imagery we see on television shows of rattling, defensive, and stressed snakes interacting with people who are provoking them." The exact location of the den isn't shared with the public to protect the animals' safety. However, the live stream offers snake enthusiasts similar access to seeing the den in person. Viewers might catch a thrilling moment, like a predator descending onto the snakes or the reptiles drinking raindrops to stay hydrated. Cal Poly researchers hope to study through constant observation how rattlesnakes "behaviorally maintain their body temperature, avoid sunburn, and conserve water," per the release. A Project RattleCam image captured in June of the Colorado snake den. Project RattleCam Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "We hope to eventually install cameras on snake aggregations (group gatherings) all over the world to help us better understand the behaviors of these complex, social animals," Taylor said. 20 Rattlesnakes Found Inside Man's Arizona Garage — and One Was Pregnant: 'This Is Crazy' Colorado Rattlecam Livestream. Project RattleCam/Youtube “The team will measure how children’s perceptions of snakes change after participating in the RattleCam unit.” The livestream will be on continuously through October, after which it will be turned off for the winter. The best time to view the snakes is early morning or late at night when they are most active, according to Cal Poly.