A new generation of snake handlers take up "death in that box"

Young snake handlers say they grasp the power of faithBites are rare because timber rattlesnakes and copperheads would rather flee, said Vince Cobb, a herpetologist at Middle Tennessee State University.While the snakes can’t be tamed, they can become used to being handled. A gentle handler who doesn’t make fast motions near a snake’s head is unlikely to get bitten. Dancing with a snake or handling a snake and fire at the same time is a different matter. “That’s a little more risky — it’s more likely that they’ll get bit,” he said.