need some suggestions

I just bought a baby Baja Striped California Kingsnake and I'm having some trouble deciding what to house him in. (he hasn't arrived yet) The problem is, he's tiny! Like 8 inches at the most. I don't have a rack, so that isn't an option. I'd like to go with a rubbermaid, but don't think one would be secure enough for him, he's about as big around as a pencil. So I was leaninig towards a 5 or 10 gallon Critter Keeper. But how do you heat something that small? Anyone have any creative (and cheap) ideas? Also, does anyone have an idea what kind of growth I can expect in a year? Would a 5 gallon be big enough in a year? I'm only planning on housing him in whatever for about a year, then I'm going to buy stackable cages, which will free up larger quarters for him.

And sorry, no pics yet, but he's dammed cute!

Congrats.. cali kings are tons of fun! Go to walmart and get a 99 cent shoebox, then go to the office store and get a package of binder clips (large is usually good) use four to clamp the lid down (one on each side.. you can also clamp corners in addition if the lid is flimsy)

I have raised a number of tiny colubrids in shoeboxes with a quota of '0' escapes.

Plastic shoe boxes work good, I personally dont use them because the one time I did for a female gopher snake I had, she escaped. I would personally just use a 10 gallon with a secure cover but thats me.

we use a 10 for our milksnake with a locking lid make shure you have a lid that locks and keep some extra weight or even a lock on it.