Snakes Lifespan (2024)

How Long Do Snakes Live?

This largely varies depending on which type of snake it is. As with most reptiles, snakes live a long time compared to dogs or cats.

The average lifespan is between 13- 18 years old in captivity and 10 – 15 years in the wild.

This is simple, we are able to give snakes treatments for any cuts or infections the snake may have. Though this is rare for the most popular pet snakes.

The most common cause of death is from issues that are easily rectified in captivity, the raspatory infection is similar to a common cold in a human but if left for a long period of time untreated this can be fatal for a wild snake.

This is not the only reason for snakes living longer in captivity, predators are another massive consideration that shortens the lifespan of snakes in all species. There is not a snake that during one point is not vulnerable to a predator of some sort. Such as the biggest snake on the planet, the reticulated python when young often gets attacked by birds and other snakes until it becomes so big that is an apex predator in its habitat.

Finally, is lack of food or starvation, this causes many deaths each year for snakes that have not had any success at hunting for a long time, until becoming too weak to hunt at all.

42 years old is the oldest snake we have encounter and as far as we are aware it is close to the world record. An albino ball python that was kept and not handling by a lovely lady owner, his name was “Gerry” and died at 42 years old.

The ball python is the longest-lived snake species in the world and numerous snakes in captivity have reached the age of between 25 – 30 years with the correct care, that is a seriously long time to have a pet snake.

Not all snakes will live to this near 4-decade lifespan, it is thought that there are many factors that play into a snake’s lifespan such as their feeding schedule, genetics and also even stress can shorten the life of some species of snake.

Here is a list of some of the most popular snakes’ lifespan in and out of the wild. (Please note the wild data is gather as accurate as possible but cannot be used as factual data.)

• Corn Snake
• King Snake
• Milk Snake
• Green Tree Python
• Boa Constrictor
• Amazon Tree Boa
• Burmese Python
• Reticulated Python
• Hognose
• Ball Python

• 6-8
• 7-10
• 7-10
• 8-14
• 10-15
• 7-12
• 10-15
• 9-14
• 7-10
• 8-20

• 14-20
• 13-18
• 13-18
• 15-20
• 20-30
• 10-20
• 15-25
• 15-20
• 10-15
• 20-40