[Zephyr]

I kept a brown snake over the summer for a few days. It took him/her about a week to eat. The good news to this is that I was on vacation when he was fed by mother, so after a period of acclimation it can't be too hard to feed them even if you're a total n00b.
Just make sure you keep his/her tank warm with tons of things to hide in/under. I used rotting vegetation to simulate the compost heap I found mine in. These aren't the kind of snake that likes to roam around *Like garters* although on a few of my herping expeditions I've found them crawling above ground just before dark and before storms.
If you're going to go the rotting route, maybe try finding a whole bunch of garden worms from a pesticide free local area, get some potting soil and dead oak leaves *these are high in nutrients* and set up a compost heap-like tank for your little dekay's. :P
Good luck!