That’s a very good/tough question R4L. I went with the olive first because I wanted a snake that wasn’t as popular as some others. Lots more people keep retics, burms, and boas. There’s not nearly as many olives in the hobby and that really intrigued me. After getting into boas they quickly became one of my favorite snakes. My boas are a lot smaller than my olive right now. I believe they’ll be more heavier bodied than the olive as adults, but the BCO does have the potential to reach 8-10 ft. Temperamentally they’re very similar, really mellow and fun to handle, but they each have a very strong food drive. I can pick any of them up without using a hook first if I wanted but I don’t. I really can’t say which would make a “better” first big snake. IMO it’s a draw!![]()