Welcome to the forum!

The good things about ball pythons: There are a ton of different morphs to choose from and so finding one that catches your eye is very easy. They are relatively very easy to keep healthy. They eat rodents which are easy to obtain and even order on the internet. They are a gentle snake and are typically not prone to aggressiveness.

Some possible negatives: The cost for set-up can be high depending on the environment you choose for the snake and the type of heat control you choose. Ball pythons are typically not active snakes and they are typically not very interactive (say, like boas).

I feel that the best thing is to ask yourself why you want a snake and what you want the snake for. Again, if you want a more active, less shy snake, perhaps a different species might be better.

Please continue to ask any questions that might pop into your mind during this period of decision. You might want to look at breeders websites; I have only had personal experience with NERD (http://www.newenglandreptile.com), TSK (http://www.ballpython.com/page.php), and 8Ball (http://www.8ballpythons.com/index.htm)- all terrific! You might want to look at websites that sell supplies- I highly recommend Reptile Basics (http://www.reptilebasics.com/).

Again, welcome!!