Looking into a good first snake for my 12 y/o. This will be our first snake experience, other than fooling around with the ones in the herp lab in undergrad biology. Have looked into Corns and Balls. There's a year-old Cali King at our local pet store (I know the owner and it's a reputable place to get animals from). He's quite an escape artist. They were in taking care of the animals when I stopped by today. When they went to show him to me, they realized he was out. Luckily, he hadn't gotten any further than the confines of the reptile room. He was cold & active but didn't get nasty with me at all. My understanding is that he's been hand raised by one of the guys who works in the store. He's also beautiful - black with butter yellow.

How big do these guys get? (Length & weight) What is their temperament? Any special husbandry requirements? As a full-grown adult male, what do these guys eat? Are they compatible with a small and medium-sized dog? What's a fair price?

Many thanks!

Melissa