First Time Snake-Mom!

[LifeEnColor]

Hey everyone! I'm obviously really new to this site. I just got my baby albino striped California kingsnake today! He's about three months old and his colors are amazing. I've had a gecko and a veiled chameleon in the past, but this is my first time ever having a snake. I'm a little nervous about messing up, so does anyone have any tips for me?

Housing:
10g glass aquarium
Apsen bedding
Under tank heater
Small, heavy water dish (I plan on buying a bigger one to add to the cage when he starts to shed to ease him along)
Two hiding spots (on opposites ends of the tank)
A 'vine' to crawl and climb along if he chooses
A decorative hanging leafy 'vine' (he's already made plenty of use out of)

Snake's Condition:
Male
About 11in long (hard to tell when he's curled up or moving)
3 months old
No visible signs of health problems (clear eyes, no discharge, smooth body, no nicks or scrapes, etc
Was calm when I inspected him (no signs of aggression or stress, just very curious)
Has been actively exploring his new environment (though he has gotten nervous if I suddenly appear to watch him or I shift the cage top to make sure its secure, but I'm assuming this is normal)

I ordered my first batch of frozen pinkies and they'll be here tomorrow. I know its not the best method, but with my limited options, I bought him off of a website and so he was shipped to me. He came with a card that said his next feeding should be 8/5/12 and I plan on feeding him twice a week until he grows some more, then I'll move to once a week to avoid obesity.

Any and all advice would be very welcome! I want settling him in to be a positive experience for both of us.
(If anyone has any name suggestions, I'd love to hear them. My avatar is the first picture I have of him)

[Andrew21]

Thermostat for the under tank heater? You absolutely need one!
And thermometer to measure temps?

[LifeEnColor]

Yup! Sorry, forgot to mention the thermostats I have on both sides of the tank. So far its been reading in the high 70s low 80s.

[Andrew21]

Thermometers tell you the temperature. Thermostats control the heat pad. You need a thermostat before anything else. I'd unplug the heat pad until you get one. Heat pads can burn your snake!

[LifeEnColor]

Ah, thank you. I get the two mixed up sometimes. No, I do not have a thermostat at the moment. I've been looking online and seen a few suggested ways to control the intensity of the heat pad. I'll be making a run to Home Depot this weekend for sure.
They're not used for heating, but I have two lights on top of the cage that add a little ambient air temperature to the aquarium, but not very much.

My bag of pinkies arrived today and I'm excited about feeding him for the first time this weekend. I was thinking of trying to handle him the day before I gave him the mouse. Should I wait until the day after he has fed to begin trying to handle him instead? Obviously I want him to experience as little stress as possible, so what is the best way of initially picking him up? Thats the part that makes me nervous. He's going to be hiding and I'm going to have to search for him. Is it ok to pick up his hiding places in order to get him? Or is that stepping over a boundary? I don't want to be chasing him around the tank with my hand, that seems too stressful for both of us.

[Daybreaker]

Ah, thank you. I get the two mixed up sometimes. No, I do not have a thermostat at the moment. I've been looking online and seen a few suggested ways to control the intensity of the heat pad. I'll be making a run to Home Depot this weekend for sure.
They're not used for heating, but I have two lights on top of the cage that add a little ambient air temperature to the aquarium, but not very much.

My bag of pinkies arrived today and I'm excited about feeding him for the first time this weekend. I was thinking of trying to handle him the day before I gave him the mouse. Should I wait until the day after he has fed to begin trying to handle him instead? Obviously I want him to experience as little stress as possible, so what is the best way of initially picking him up? Thats the part that makes me nervous. He's going to be hiding and I'm going to have to search for him. Is it ok to pick up his hiding places in order to get him? Or is that stepping over a boundary? I don't want to be chasing him around the tank with my hand, that seems too stressful for both of us.

I don't believe there's heat pad thermostats available at Home Depot, but in the meantime you can pick up a lamp dimmer for the heat pad so you can somewhat regulate it and it won't overheat. A thermostat will get the temperature to the desired temp and keep it there, regardless of the house fluctuation temps but a dimmer will fluctuate with the house temps and will require adjusting it accordingly. I use Reptile Basics's VE-200 thermostats but I believe there's a cheaper one that you can get (a Hydrofarm I believe?).

Handling is up to you, personally I only handle mine for pics, weights, or cage cleaning but I don't handle for at least two days after feeding. The day before is fine IMO. I just go right in and grab them if I need to, regardless if they're in a hide or under substrate. Kings are hardy guys: I'm sure you'll be find handling him even if he's a small wormy guy.