My little guy was pretty anxious when I first attempted to handle him.

It'll sound silly, but what worked for me is instead of reaching in with a warm scary hand, I first used a small snake hook (a wire coat hanger should work too). The snake didn't see the hook as a threat, and I was able to gently lift him out of the tub and onto my flat hand. Then I just let him sit there perfectly still until he decided it was safe to start exploring. After four or five of these sessions over a 2-3 week period, he was relaxed enough to let me pick him up barehanded. He hasn't had any issues since, and I've not taken a bite.