 There have been numerous descriptions of their generally <unk> nature . <unk> ( 1961 ) wrote they are so docile that they " can be handled as freely as any non @-@ venomous species " , although this is absolutely not recommended . In Lane ( 1963 ) , <unk> explained he would capture specimens by first touching them lightly on the top of the head with a pair of tongs to test their reactions . Anger was rarely displayed , so the tongs were usually set aside and the snakes firmly grasped by the neck with one hand and the body supported with the other as he picked them up and carried them to a box for containment . He said the snakes hardly ever struggled . 
