Max Roberts: Spying on Sunbathers – Uncovering the Secret Lives of Rattlesnakes through Project RattleCam

Due to their secretive nature and their tendency to change their behavior when disturbed by humans, it has historically been difficult to study natural rattlesnake behavior. This issue has also negatively impacted public perceptions of rattlesnakes, with most media showing rattlesnakes in their most intimidating form. In 2020, Emily Taylor and Scott Boback started an effort to address these issues by launching Project RattleCam, a community science project that uses cameras to study wild rattlesnake behavior and change public perceptions of snakes. Project RattleCam currently operates two livestreaming cameras placed at rattlesnake rookeries, where female rattlesnakes prepare to give birth to their pups. The project has made countless discoveries and novel observations of rattlesnake behavior and how other animals utilize rattlesnake dens and rookeries. It has also gained a huge public following, amassing over 22 thousand subscribers on YouTube from over 122 countries. Many viewers are dedicated followers of the livestreams who have expressed that watching the rattlesnakes on the livestreams has changed their feelings about snakes. In this talk, Max Roberts will discuss his involvement in Project RattleCam, some of the most interesting observations documented on the cameras, the research being conducted, and the future directions of Project RattleCam.

Max Roberts is a PhD student advised by Javan Bauder in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. His current work focuses on understanding how environmental variation impacts the biology of reptiles and amphibians in the Madrean Sky Islands. During his master’s at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Max worked with Emily Taylor on Project RattleCam, helping to launch the Colorado RattleCam Livestream and studying how weather patterns impact rattlesnake behavior. In his free time, you can find Max either out in the field searching for herps or birds to photograph or playing saxophone at the local jazz jam.