pe ▁of ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁rows ▁of ▁scales ▁extends ▁onto ▁the ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁bel ly . ▁ ▁The ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁bel ly ▁is ▁a ▁green ish - white ▁color . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁has ▁two ▁rows ▁of ▁black ▁sp ots ▁between ▁the ▁back ▁and ▁side ▁stri pes . ▁It ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁tail ▁that ▁is ▁about ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁length ▁of ▁its ▁body . ▁The ▁lab ial ▁scales ▁around ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁s nake ▁are ▁un mark ed ▁and ▁uniformly ▁bright ▁yellow ▁or ▁white . ▁A ▁white ▁or ▁light - yellow ▁bar ▁borders ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁eyes . ▁Ju ven iles ▁are ▁colored ▁like ▁adult s . ▁Some ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁eastern ▁rib bon ▁s nake ▁make ▁it ▁different ▁from ▁a ▁close ▁relative , ▁the ▁g arter ▁s nake . ▁ ▁The ▁eastern ▁has ▁a ▁much ▁th inner ▁body ▁than ▁a ▁g arter ▁s nake . ▁ ▁Its ▁tail ▁makes ▁up ▁about ▁one - third ▁of ▁its ▁body ▁length . ▁ ▁This ▁s nake ▁has ▁stri pes ▁on ▁the ▁third ▁and ▁fourth ▁scale ▁rows . ▁ ▁The ▁eastern ▁rib bon ▁s nake ▁has ▁pure ▁white ▁lips ▁and ▁a ▁mark ▁of ▁white ▁color ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁its ▁eyes . ▁This ▁s nake ▁is ▁not ▁ven om ous . ▁ ▁Hab itats ▁The ▁common ▁rib bon ▁s nake ▁is ▁typically ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁United ▁States , ▁usually ▁in ▁wet lands ▁and ▁near ▁the ▁edges ▁of ▁p onds ▁and ▁streams . ▁They ▁are ▁found ▁both ▁in ▁and