For your first boa, I would suggest getting a young one. The reason is that they are nothing like a BP. They are alot more active and curious. It seems that they are almost attracted to movement. They can also be pretty persistant when they want to go one direction and you want them to go another. With a young boa, you can develope your handling techniques as they grow, instead of getting an adult first, and possibly being overwhelmed by trying to figure out how to handle it right away.