Corn Snakes can live a long time both in captivity and in the wild. I currently own a 26 year old corn snake as a pet. However, this is apparently not typical.
So then how long does a corn snake live? The average life expectancy of a corn snake is 17.5 years in captivity, and 7 years in the wild. Corn Snakes in the wild do not have the same safety and advantages as pet corn snakes, so they live less than half as long.
These are generally accepted averages in the reptile handling community, but there are plenty of outliers. As I mentioned, I personally have corn snakes that far exceed the typical life expectancy, and I know I’m not alone.
If you browse through many of the corn snake forums online, you will find many people who have pet corn snakes that live well into their 20s.
A very important point here is that a corn snake is a very long term commitment that should not be taken lightly. Unlike a short living pet like some types of fish, you may have your corn snakes for a huge portion of your life. This is no different than having dogs or cats a s pets.
If you are the type of person who thinks something is cool and gets into it for a while, then gets bored and moves on to something else, then please do not choose corn snakes as a pet.
With an average life span of 17.5 years in captivity (and many people reporting that they have corn snakes as old as early to mid 20s), you really have to consider all the ups and downs of life in that time span.
Maybe I’m doing something right, or perhaps I’m just lucky, but I have old corn snakes (1 of them is still going strong at 26 years old). Obviously conditions are far better for corn snakes in captivity compared to in the wild, so you would expect an extended life, but I have had these snakes through many life changes.
I have moved many times in those 26 years, which means potential for stress, and alterations to habitat and environmental conditions.
I was always afraid of the impacts these moves have made and the risk of a shortened life span, which has caused a great deal of guilt. But so far, everything seems to have panned out great. They are old and healthy, and my current lifestyle is much more stable.
How Old Is The Oldest Corn Snake?
32 Years and 3 Months was the oldest corn snake officially on record. This gives hope that your corn snake may make it to it’s 30s if you are lucky.
How Can You Tell The Age Of A Corn Snake?
You can tell the age of your corn snake by examining it’s overall length. You can see full instructions on how to measure and determine your corn snake’s length, and therefore age, by visiting this page here.
In summary, corn snakes may not all grow at exactly the same rate, as they are all individual, but there is a general growth pattern to give a fairly good estimation.
- Baby Corn Snakes = Less than 10 inches long.
- 1 Month Old = Up to 15 inches long.
- 6 Months Old = Approximately 20 inches long or Under (unlikely to exceed to 20 inches at 6 Months old).
- 1 Year Old = An average length between 25-28 inches long.
- 2 Years Old = Up to 43 inches long.
- 3 Years Old = 4 Feet long.
In Summary:
Any corn snake lifespans you may come across on the internet are just general averages, and I don’t think there are too many in depth studies on the matter to be truly conclusive. These are just wild educational guesses. You can likely expect your corn snake to live a pretty long and healthy life if you care for them correctly.