I have both a Children's and a Stimson's Python, as well as a pair of Tarahumara Boas. The Tarahumara are recent acquistions, and while I am really enjoying them and find them (so far) easy to care for and nice to handle, I'll leave any further comments to folks here who have more experience with them than I do.
For your 40 gallon enclosure and given your comments, I would enthusiastically recommend a Children's Python. These little guys don't have demanding temperature and humidity requirements - they do well with a general python setup of a warm spot in the 88-90 F range and a cool spot in the 78F range. Unlike a Ball Python, they aren't sensitive about, and are forgiving of, reasonable humidity/temp fluctuations. They have fantastic appetites, and they are wonderful to handle because they're a slow-moving python as opposed to some of the more flighty/squirmy snakes. I really enjoy my Children's personality. She's just under a year old, so is in a Sterilite tub that I can easily put on my desk - it's become a routine to remove the lid so that she can rest her little head on the edge of the enclosure and just watch me and the world around her. It's incredibly cute. She'll voluntarily climb out and onto my hand, and is perhaps the most serene snake I own. While more active at night, both she and the Stimson's are often out and about during the day, just basking on their cork rounds/branches or on top of their hides - it's nice to see them like that.
I could go on, but don't want to be boring. I'll just say that I can understand why the Antaresia are so much loved in Australia, and I'm a little shocked that they aren't more widely known and appreciated here. The advantage to their being pretty unknown here in the U.S. is that they are quite inexpensive - average cost for a Children's is $100. I've convinced two of my friends who wanted a great beginner snake to get a Children's Python, and both of them have just been delighted so far.
Reply With Quote