I am actually asking this question to try and help out a good friend of mine. She has a son who is turning 12 on his next birthday, and wants to get him a snake. They have been thinking about it for quite a long time but wanted to wait until they felt he was old enough and responsible enough to take on a pet such as a snake. Even though I myself am lucky to have a rainbow boa who is super sweet and has a great temperament, she is the first snake I have had so I am pretty clueless on what to recommend. I have started researching different sites and reading tons of information, but it can be a little overwhelming with so many different types. So I thought it would be a great idea to turn to everyone here in the snake community for help, I would love to hear any suggestions you may have. Thanks!