AWESOME wild RED garter snake encounter! Let's go herping!

Sometimes amazing things happen in your life, and you have to seize the moment! What an experience seeing these awesome red garter snakes in the wild! Common garter snakes are usually yellow and black (like the one in the intro), but these beauties are something really special. It could be possible to get a permit to collect some juveniles for herpetoculture someday, but for now I'm happy to know they are thriving at one of my favorite places!

Flame garters: http://stevenbolgartersnakes.com (Dutch)
Video from The Dodo of the man and water snake:    • Man Feeds WILD SNAKE Friend A Snack | The ...  

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I'm not one to shy away from controversy, and I know there's a stigma against feeding wildlife (for good reason!). It would be irresponsible of me to post this without including a few notes on the subject, and my feeding of this snake in particular.

Worms are part of a garter snake's natural diet and this snake has likely eaten similar worms nearby.
This worm was the exact same kind from the same source I've been feeding to my salamander for many years, so I know they are completely safe.
I placed the worm somewhat naturally so the snake would not directly associate humans with food, and I kept my distance.
It is not illegal to feed wildlife in this location.
This location is known only to local fishermen, and it's not visited often.

Feeding wildlife is often dangerous to the very animals you're enjoying (and sometimes to people, too!), especially in popular tourism areas. However, I don't think feeding wildlife is always wrong. When you live isolated in the country and close to nature 24/7, the typical rules you hear tend to bend a little bit sometimes. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!


The video and photos of the garter snakes were shot using my Google Pixel 2 phone(!!!). A Canon M50 was used for indoor shots (but I need better lighting, working on it!).