Unlike what is the case with birds, color plays no role in sex for snakes, therefore, their is no sexual differences. Color and pattern for snakes is purely for defense from predators, and to hide from prey.

The stripes themselves serve to fool predators. It has the effect of making the snake look longer than it is, so that when predators go to grab a fleeing garter, they often end up going for too far behind the snake, allowing it to escape. Red spots on the sides also serve a similar purpose and as unlikely as it might seem, even bright orange spots really help to camouflage a concinnus in vegetation by breaking up the outline of the snake.