I have both, and I love all of my snakes of course, but hands down my hognose is my baby. As far as handleing...they are less head shy, but not good climbers and fairly clumsy snakes, lol. They have the sweetest faces! But ball pythons are probably more fun to handle. I love hognose for their uniquness, and I love balls for their docile nature. That being said each snake has their own personality. My advice, just wait until you find that snake that you bond with!