# How Long Do Corn Snakes Live?

> Corn Snake lifespan is typically 15–20 years in captivity. What shortens or extends life, life stages, and status (Least Concern).

- **Species:** Corn Snake (*Pantherophis guttatus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Carnivore
- **Habitat:** Fields, woodlands, and farmland
- **Lifespan:** 15–20 years in captivity
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/corn-snake/how-long-do-corn-snake-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/corn-snake/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) is a gentle, colourful North American rat snake and one of the most popular pet snakes in the world. Native to the fields, woodlands and farmland of the southeastern United States, it grows to around 1.4 m (up to about 1.8 m) and is a non-venomous constrictor that hunts rodents. Docile and easy to keep, corn snakes can live 15 to 20 years in captivity and are listed as Least Concern.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a prognosis for one named animal. This page is a species lifespan range.

## Appearance and colour

The corn snake is named partly for the maize-like checkerboard pattern on its belly and partly for its habit of hunting around grain stores. Wild individuals are typically orange or reddish-brown with bold, black-edged red or orange blotches down the back. Decades of captive breeding have produced a huge range of colour and pattern variations, known as morphs, from snow-white to lavender. A slender adult reaches about 1.4 m long and weighs around 0.9 kg (2 lb).

## Help protect the Corn Snake

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/corn-snake/how-long-do-corn-snake-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.