Diadem snakes are in general not snakes that enjoy being handled, and most will make this abundantly clear by hissing and striking repeatedly and with great vigour upon being disturbed. In general this is a ‘look, don’t touch’ species but for those times when the snake absolutely must be moved out of its enclosure, it is best to use a hook and gloves to move them safely and with minimal fuss. The snakes will deliver multiple quick, slashing strikes but rarely hold on. The bites are fairly inconsequential once the initial shock has worn off but it is unwise to encourage them to do so as you do not want them to injure their teeth or stress out more than they need to.