Get yourself a nice female african rock python. They make the best first snakes, IMO.
(kornfreekiam)

Take a moment....
...and ask yourself a couple of very important questions such as: do you really want a snake that will get to be 10 feet long, weigh over 50 pounds, urinate and defecate like a St. Bernard, should live more than 30 years and for whom you will have to kill mice, rats and, eventually, small rabbits? Many people think that it will be easy to find someone who will take it if they decide they don�t want their Boa when it is 8 or 10 feet long. So, take a look at the classified ads--they always have sale ads for big pythons and boas. The zoo doesn�t want any more--they already have more giant snakes than they need. The local herpetology societies and reptile veterinarians always have big snakes for whom they are trying to find homes. At 8 feet and 40 pounds, a 2-year old Boa may already be eating rabbits a couple of times a month and can be very unwieldy to handle alone. You have to interact with them constantly to keep them tame--do you want a hungry, cranky 10 foot snake mistaking your face for prey? Another consideration is who is going to help you clean its enclosure? take it to the vet when it�s sick? take care of it when you go away to school or on vacation? No matter how much they love you, there are some things a mother, and your friends, will not do! Owning a big snake is not cool; it is a major, long-term commitment and responsibility.

There has been a disturbing increase over the past year or so (1996 to present) of boas being dumped by their owners (many of whom tried to sell the 6+ foot boa only to find that, no matter how much they reduced their price, no one was interested in buying) on animal shelters and reptile rescues. Many of these snakes are in terrible condition, with respiratory infections, riddled with endo- and ectoparasites, many suffering severe injury and infection from untreated rat bites and thermal burns. This is a clear indication that many people who are buying boas shouldn�t