Corn snake or Ball python

[Luvyna]

Corn snakes:
+ Are native to North America so they require lower humidity levels and ambient temperatures and thus hardy and can be more forgiving with husbandry mistakes
+ Are generally great eaters if healthy and never go on feeding strikes
+ Are diurnal so you may see them roaming around the enclosure more during the day
- Are faster and more active than BPs so they may be slightly harder to hold and can escape easily (their higher activity levels can also be a positive though if you want a snake that moves around a lot when handling)

Ball pythons:
+ Are slow-moving snakes that are very easy to hold and are "lap snakes" that will sit and watch TV with you
+ Are hardy and easy to care for IF you set up their enclosure properly and make sure the humidity, temperatures, hides...etc are set up properly
- Can go on feeding strikes for months which can be worrying and stressful
- Are nocturnal and will not be seen during the day if they are healthy and not stressed
- Are native to Africa so they need higher humdity and temperatures than corn snakes, and if you get this wrong, this can lead to feeding strikes and bad sheds.

If you like both equally, I'd say get a corn snake, but if you prefer one over the other, get that one. Just make sure you do your research and set up the enclosure properly, and both of these snakes can be hardy, docile pets for beginners