how do i tell

Question
ive got this snake that i received from a friend.but i want to know if it it a python or boa?how could i tell if it is a python or boa by characteristics other than skin patters?and what is the difference between pythons and boas?

Answer
I'm sorry, but my specialty is colubrid snakes. I would suggest going to www.kingsnake.com and posting a picture of your snake on both the boa and python forums. I could probably tell you what kind it is if I saw a picture myself, but I can't describe to you the differences other than pythons lay eggs and boas have live births. So unless your boa gives birth soon it's probably best to just post a picture of it on the forum.
Paul