milk snake
A non-venomous snake species (Lampropeltis triangulum) known for its colorful bands. In Japanese, the katakana name is standard.
Milk snakes are non-venomous, so they are sometimes kept as pets.
Mixed kanji-katakana spelling; the kanji 蛇 means 'snake'. Rarely used; the katakana form is strongly preferred.
From English 'milk snake', referring to the species Lampropeltis triangulum. The Japanese name is a direct loanword.