The worst is over to say the least . . . the fear of getting bit is the major thing to get over, once you actually get bit it takes a good chunk of that fear away. ALWAYS hand with confidence, a snake knows this. When I first got my female JCP they would strike any time you opened their cage (10 gallon quarantine tanks) but as soon as I moved them into their real PVC homes, and just reached in and took them out confidently, they stopped striking within a week, and none of them actually ever landed a bite.

My male, Simba, is a terror and shows no signs of calming down. I have ample snake hooks and now I use one to get him out every time. Once he's out of the cage he is calm as long as his head is facing away from you. As soon as he turns around and sees your not his perch, he freaks out and strikes like crazy. He's bit quite a few times, but I still love him and work with him. Confidently and regularly.

Remember, the worst thing you can do is rip your hand back when a snake like this goes to strike. This shows fear, and gives the snake more power. Stay in there and just pick the darn thing up anyway! It will pay off in the end.