Honestly the best thing for mean ones if you dislike bites is a set of tongs. With those you just reach in and pick up your guy or gal and they can bite the tongs all they want.

In fact at times it is a good way to get them used to being picked up. Most tend to shy away from bitting about the third or fourth time they bite into that hard steel shaft

I guess I am spoiled I buy most of my new animals as babies, if they bite then it is not big deal. I use a hook mainly for them because I can get them to not bite as in not try to do it in the first place. With a lot of biters the how you pick them up has more to do their response then anything else.

I however, do know a big Asian rat is something you prefer not to be bit into by, from um, personal experience. Still better a 8 foot beauty then a 5 foot boa, I will make that trade any day!