None of this is to say that teens are all terrible, irresponsible loafs and shouldn't be trusted to care for a living thing ever. I have known far more than just 2% of teens who I think would be conscientious and attentive exotics keepers! But the fact is, that as long as you're legally confined to living under someone else's roof, you gotta live by their rules.

The kid who owned this snake may turn out to be the BEST snake owner ever in a couple of years, when they got an apartment, with understanding landlord, and roommates, but even if they were able to put the time and money into the snake right now to make sure it was set up properly, they did it behind their parents' backs, leading to this, "take it out back and shoot it," situation. Hence why make sure a) the parents know about it and b) are okay with it, before selling to a minor.