are constrictors really good starters?

[thea_k]

hiya! i'm brand new to this forum, and to snakes in general. i've wanted one for years, but my mom wasn't exactly psyched about the idea, so now that i've moved out, i've been looking into finally getting one. now, i'm probably getting a ball python, but while i was researching, i came across quite a few articles that recommended boa constrictors as a starter!

maybe i'm just a bit misinformed, since usually all i hear about constrictors are horror stories and exaggerated accounts, ( "my cousin's friend had one, and she woke up to it stretching beside her, and the vet said it was measuring her to eat it!!" y'all know the deal. ), but they don't really seem like good starters. especially considering how big they can get.

i'm not going to lie, the idea of having one does kinda appeal to me, but i'd hate to rush into something i'm unprepared for and end up getting hurt/accidentally hurting a snake just because i wanted a 'cool' snake. so i wanted to ask people who actually do know what they're talking about, what's your experience with constrictors? would you recommend them to a beginner, provided i do the correct research on its care? ( for the record, i do have the room for, at the largest, a 8ft by 5ft tank. )