For cage set up, they need more room than most other snakes of the same size. A 2 ft beauty will need a bigger cage than a 2 ft king snake. They have pretty fast metabolisms and can really move fast when they want to so don't let him crawl out of your hands, lol. They like to climb if given the chance like you already said. Temps are a little cooler, low-mid 80s on the warm end and mid-high 70s on the cool end. They do not tolerate 90s very well, so try to make sure it doesn't get that warm. They seem more nervous and jumpy than other snakes especially as youngins. From the sound of it, it is a pretty small snake so a bite won't hurt at all. Just go for it and grab him when you need to, don't hesitate and jerk away if he strikes. I have never worked with a snake with kinks so I can't help ya there.