I don't have any concrete answers for your other questions, but western hoggies make great pets. I'm hoping to pick up a pair in the near future!

Western are easiest to care for, easterns need to be fed on a diet of amphibs. Easterns supposedly can be kept on rodents, but it drastically shortens their life expectancy.. I've heard mentions of kidney problems or something.

Westerns are pretty tolerant of humidity and temperature, from what I understand do well with a "typical" ground snake setup in 10 gallon glass cages with heating, substrate, hide or two, water dish, and fed on mice.

Hopefully someone with experience raising hoggies will chime in soon