I've had my Merauke for about 3 years now. I purchased mine from a guy that bought a farm-raised group and kept them for close to 1 year. The guy I purchased mine from had already treated for parasites (external and internal) so I was good to go.

If you are buying from a shop that imports either WC or farm-raised, I'd think that they would worm them as a preventive measure on all of their imports. You might want to check with your friend and see if he has done this or can do this for you. If that is not an option, getting a fecal done at a vet and then treating for worms will probably be in order.

My guy is a better display pet, but is interactive and has learned to associate me with food and will tolerate me touching him (but does not like being picked up). If the imports your friend has are very young, they may tame down better than mine did (mine was over a year when I got him).

I house mine in a 4'x2' pvc enclosure with sliding glass doors, a heat lamp, and plenty of substrate to burrow in. He gets fed wet dog food and veggies (with added vitamins and cal D3). These guys do need D3 supplementation (either via food or with a UV lamp) so keep that in mind. I give mine oral supplements instead of using a UV bulb which has worked well for me. That said, many people use UV lights with good success too. My adult eats once a week.