Adopted a red-tail because he wasnt getting right treatment

Question
i was at the pet store buying food for my red tail and my friend who works there was telling me he has one in the back for adoption so i checked it out and felt so bad for the poor thing, first off he was in a small tank with only a water bowl and newspaper no hiding spot, no source of heat.. he is very aggressive now and if i even go near him he will hiss like crazy and try to strike i have gotten bitten once by a ball python but i am a little scared to pick him up even though i know thats the only way to get him more comfortable with me, any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Mike
First, that was great of you to help out by "adopting" the red tail :-)  You didn't mention how long he is.  Unfortunately, there is really no other way to make a snake comfortable with you except through daily handling.  And in the case of a red-tailed boa (which I've had a 7' foot one in the past) constant handling is a MUST for them to be Calm and cool :-)  Another suggestion, if you are worried about getting bitten wear gloves for awhile until he calms down.  Let me know how it goes.