I finally got the Dusty Rhodes book too- haven't read it all yet though. For what you're doing, a Trans Pecos would be far better than a gopher snake- it's like the difference between a ballerina and a pet steam-roller as far as their effects on cage furnishings. TPs all tend to have a light touch with everything- I've never seen one dig or push things around- unlike gopher snakes who like to rearrange the furniture. I truly can't imagine a TP eating any kind of beetle either, but sometimes animals do unexpected things, so I won't say it's impossible, just terribly unlikely. As far as your arid set-up, you might actually want to create a humid hide for the TP under some flat rocks glued in place for safety; I don't use humid hides for mine, but my location is humid anyway, & he mentions in the book they sometimes need a humid hide when kept in a very dry cage, to duplicate the dampness of an underground cave they'd choose in the wild.
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