I've got a few Mandarins and they vary in temperament. My wild caught adult male is a tail rattling, musking, nervous snake. The good news is that since he's a bit agressive- he eats. I feed him small rat pups and fuzzies or hoppers and I'm amazed that he actually accepts frozen thawed prey on a regular basis. He definitely requires a moist, cool environment and hides 90% of the time. I leave him be, other than feeding and cage cleaning and it works out. I would not suggest wild caught Mandarins as a pet snake since they rarely survive, much less thrive.
My adult captive bred male is a perfect snake. Eats anything, very docile and easy to handle. He also doesn't have the same issues with humidity that the wild caught snake has. He'll soak as needed and sheds in one piece. I paid quite a bit for him (in my opinion) because of his age, appearance (he's very pale with a lot of yellow), and health. His mate is smaller and will bite. I don't handle her as much because she can be thrown off of feeding if she's disturbed. She has more of a red background color and is pretty in a different way. Here's her pic
I keep my Mandarins unheated, at around 70% F and with 60-80% humidity in their tubs. As far as prices- it varies based on size, age, pattern and sex (females tend to be more expensive). The lowest price I've paid for a captive bred was 250.00 US for a small yearling snake of uncertain sex (probed deeper on one side) that never thrived. Average price for captive bred hatchlings is around 350.00-500.00 US. Adults- if they're proven- 700.00-900.00 US depending on coloration, locality, and health.
Good luck with your Mandarin. Basic rules as Simon stated previously- keep them cool, keep them moist, feed small prey items (don't over feed), and don't bother them too much and they'll do well.
Here's a link to a care sheet from the breeder I got some of my snakes from.
mandarin care sheet
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