How Big Will A Corn Snake Get? The Ultimate Guide!

How big will a Corn Snake get? When I heard my friend asking this question, I knew I had to write an article giving everyone the answer! If you want to take good care of a snake, you need to know their full-grown size before purchasing one.

The size of a snake determines many things, like how big of an enclosure they need and how easy they are to handle. The length and weight they’ll ultimately reach also depend on some environmental factors and dietary choices, so you need to have the right things in place. 

In this piece, I tell you everything you need to know about a Corn Snake’s size. If you want one of these brightly colored reptiles as a pet, you must know how big they get!

How Big Will A Corn Snake Get?

Corn Snakes develop steadily, but they are fully grown within three years from birth. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:

Corn Snake Size – Birth

When Corn Snakes hatch, they’re tiny little creatures that weigh around 8 grams each. After their first year, you’ll see a lot of growth, but it can be hard to spot over short timeframes. 

Corn Snakes start their lives being 8 – 12 inches long. They only weigh 6-8 grams but quickly gain length and weight over the next 6 months.

Corns Snake Size – 6 Months

By 6 months, your Corn Snake will weigh about 25-30 grams. If you’re feeding them the proper diet, they’ll have no problem putting on weight. This will also help them grow in length, and they’ll be between 20 – 30 inches long.

Corn Snake Size – 1 Year

When your Corn Snake is a year old, they’re no longer a baby. They start maturing, and it shows in their weight and length.

Corn Snakes measure between 35 and 40 inches within their first here of life and can weigh anything from 35 to 100 grams!

Corn Snake Size – 2 Years

Your Corn Snake is one year away from its full-grown size by the age of two. The average weight of a two-year-old Corn Snake is 900 grams, and it can measure up to 60 inches long. 

Corn Snakes are known for their slow and steady growth. If you don’t really notice a difference in yours, don’t panic! I always recommend measuring your snake on a set day each month or two. That way, you can track their growth and ensure that yours is healthy.

Factors That Influence the Growth Of A Corn Snake

Some factors influence the rate at which your Corn Snake grows. Here’s what you need to keep in mind to ensure your snake has an optimal environment and lifestyle. 

Their Environment

You need to create an ideal habitat that will promote healthy growth for your snake. Missing these critical factors could lead to your snake’s demise.  

Enclosure Size

While tank size isn’t that big of an influence on growth when your Corn Snake is a newborn, it can affect their development as they mature. 

If your snake is in a too-small enclosure, it won’t have space to move and stretch. A lack of these two movements can stunt their growth. 

I recommend keeping your baby snake in a 5-gallon enclosure and moving to a 20-gallon one when they reach a year. 

Enclosure Temperature

The temperature of a snake’s environment has a big influence on their health, and if they aren’t healthy, they aren’t growing.

Snakes use the temperature of their surroundings to maintain their own. If your Corn Snake lives in an enclosure with improper temperatures, they’ll need to use all their energy to keep their bodies at an ideal one, which can take a toll on their health. 

When a snake is cold, it also can’t eat. Snakes use body heat to digest their food, and if they skip out on meals, they can experience health issues that will negatively affect their growth.

Their Lifestyle

Diet

A Corn Snake’s diet in the wild consists of mice. You need to feed them this too!

Predominantly feeding your snake foods that don’t form part of their natural diet can affect their growth. For optimal health, you should feed your snake about once a week. If they refuse a meal, offer it the next day and again until they accept it. 

Mature Corn Snakes can eat up to 3 mice in one sitting. Let your snake lead the way to how much or little they want to eat, but if you notice they’re on an eating strike, you should check if their enclosure or something else is creating this refusal of food. 

You can feed your snake live or thawed mice. If you choose to buy frozen mice, make sure they’re completely defrosted before offering them to your Corn Snake. 

In Conclusion

A well-cared-for snake will reach all their growth milestones. If you create a healthy environment and lifestyle, your Corn Snake will grow as it should.

Corn Snakes are one of the most popular reptile pets to have, and with the proper care, yours will thrive. Before you buy one, get the right sized tank with enough heating sources and stock up on mice!

If you have any more questions about how Corn Snakes grow or anything else you’ve missed in this article, please ask them in the comments. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!