My 2 cents. Corns, Kings, and small boa species like sand boa, dwarf boa, etc make great starter snakes to learn the hobby with. Stay away from tree boas as they are not for beginners. Most of the ones I mentioned are more active than a BP in general. BP's are good snakes to keep but can be pet rocks and have little need for interaction. We do it for our benefit not theirs. Get a well started CBB normal for $100 or less in most cases and then drop $300 plus on giving it a proper home. That way when you get bit by the bug to buy another you will have the experience before dropping $2k (I so can't wait for Aurora!!!!!!) on an animal that can be more work and challenge to care for.

Once you decide on a species get the setup ready and balanced out the temps and humidity and do a lot of reading, then it is time to shop for the animal. (Wish I had done this a few times.) LOL.

When picking out an animal, (again my 2 cents) if you are completely new to the hobby, find an adult that is a year or 2 old and the breeder or person who is selling it can vouch for their ease of handling. Before I got my first retic I did lots of reading. Once I asked tons of questions (bugging lots of people here) I contacted a breeder that had a female that was 2 years old and they knew her personality was chill and would be great for handling and sharing her with others. Rainbow is the prize of my collection till this day. Now she is loved by the people I share her with through education shows. Even with her being a great animal retics are not for people new to the hobby. Food mode is real!!!!!!!

Last thing. This hobby can be an addiction! Pace yourself. Not everyone can afford to feed and care for a zoo of animals like I do. Is very rewarding but a lot of work when you get more than 5... I think with Aurora I am up to 10.

Have fun, keep asking questions, and love your new pet for a lifetime.