Can't believe no one else said it, or I missed it, but try to not use the feeding tongs as a stand in snake hook. Especially if they're also the tongs you're feeding the baby carpet with! They are extremely sensitive to routine and learn the feeding routine very, very quickly. If you don't want to buy a hook, it's pretty easy to make one out of a wire coat hanger.

Gloves are actually pretty great to use with nippy babies. For me, I've found having gloves on changes the way I approach the snake, which I think is really what helps. If you're going to use gloves, use the thinnest gloves you can. Even latex or nitrile gloves. Another thing that helps is handling with cold hands.

Jungles are great. Not all babies are nippy, and almost all that are grow out of it.