I don't hold the rodents with the tongs - I use them to catch, sometimes, especially if I need to take a rodent back out of the cage, but then I transfer over and hold it by hand to put it in a container. They're much less likely to be agitated and aggressive if they have all four - or two, if they stand up on their hind legs - feet on something solid. I had one snake come out before I could set the mouse down, and the mouse grabbed it by the nose with both front paws... that snake refused to eat at all that time. Didn't get bit or anything, but it got its nose grabbed, and wasn't having anything to do with the mouse after that.