What is the difference between a python and a boa

Any recomendations on what kind of boa or python to get as a pet?

I could go into detail on the biological differences between boas and pythons, which are numerous, but you can go to Wikipedia for that. Remember that pythons are old-world snakes and boas are new-world snakes. What I think you're looking for is their differences in terms of suitability as a pet.

First of all, rule out any of the giants. You do not want to be trying to deal with a twenty-foot reticulated python, especially in an apartment or a small house. That's a lot of snake . which needs a lot of space, a lot of food, and a lot of cleaning up after. It's also a several hundred pound predator with the brain of a rock. It can easily mistake you for food, and even if the worst that happens is that you get bitten, we're talking one nasty bite here. They have needle-sharp teeth and lots of them.

Ball pythons are excellent pet snakes. They stay a convenient size, around four feet or so. They're usually very calm and placid. They're not very active snakes, so they don't need as much space as more high-strung species; in general, they're content to bask and wait for food to come by. Two critical things, however: One, buy your ball from a breeder, NOT from a pet store, and if possible, watch it eat. Balls have a reputation for being finicky eaters. Wild-caught balls will sometimes refuse food until they starve. You have no real idea where a pet-shop snake came from, and hence whether or not you're going to get into feeding problems. Two, if at all possible, get a snake which is already reliably eating frozen rodents. Trust me, having a baggie of frozen mice in your freezer is infinitely more convenient than having to run to the pet shop for a snake snack, and then deciding what to do with the fuzzly little guy if the snake isn't particularly hungry today. Frozen mice don't bite, don't escape, and don't need housing of their own.