Is your little guy a baby? It seems like the majority of babies go through a spell of being very high-strung and defensive and will go around trying to look scarier than they are in case you're a predator who means harm. My baby hisses when startled, has struck with a closed mouth, and nipped my husband once (his fingers really do look a lot like rat fuzzies, though). I don't see her as aggressive, just frightened and vulnerable. It's possible your bp is acting entirely appropriate for a youngster just trying to increase his odds of survival.

I think that if you give it time, he'll most likely calm down as he grows up - at least, that seems to be the consensus on the boards up here. My girl hasn't reached the calming-down phase yet, but I believe she will. In the meantime, be careful not to approach him from directly in front of or over his head, but scoop him up from behind or to the side. And for now, if handling him stresses the both of you out, you could keep it to a minimum. How does he behave once you have him out of his enclosure?