straythought's Identifications

A small snake, basking on the hiking path. Both I and the snake were mutually startled by each other, and it decided to assume a defensive posture after slithering a few feet away, despite the fact that it was a rather small specimen, probably 40 cm long at most. Just a little guy. I quickly snapped a few photos and left it to its business, not wanting to disturb it further. While it was small, it was a really pretty snake, with deep blacks and creamy yellows, with some small bluish-white (?) flecks, which made for an ornate high-contrast look.