Red-sided gartersnake

This snake has a thick dorsal stripe that runs down the center of the back from head to tail. It can be yellow to reddish-orange. It has a thinner yellow stripe on either side of the main dorsal stripe, with a black checkered pattern between the stripes. This is how it got the name "garter." It has keeled scales, the belly is plain, and the anal plate is single.

Some forms of the common gartersnake have red coloration on the sides between the yellow stripes. These are known as red-sided garters. They are another form of the common gartersnake, and are typically found in central and eastern Oklahoma.