Orange-striped ribbonsnake (juvenile)

This long, thin snake is a close relative of the gartersnakes. It has keeled scales and a plain cream to gray belly. The back is brown or black with scattered flecks of white. There is a yellow or orange mid-dorsal stripe and on each side of the body there is a pale yellow or cream stripe on the third and fourth scale rows up from the belly. There are two fused yellow spots or a single spot on top of the head. There is usually a small, white blotch both in front and behind each eye. The head of this snake is shorter than that of gartersnakes. The slender tail is 1/4 to 1/3 of the entire body length. (taken from "A Field Guide to Oklahoma's Amphibians and Reptiles")