My preferred method of rigging would be through the use of the CAT system within 3DS Max. I created a custom rig preset and quickly skinned the model to gain some idea of how easy and effective the process would be. I then experimented with posing the snake to test the rig and skin.
The results of this test showed the bends looked square and too sharp. I was able to reduce this effect and improve most of the deformation by editing the skinning envelopes. Overall it looks a lot better but there are still some problem areas I was unable to fix.
While this may look a lot better, this is only a static pose and I have yet to test the way the rig animates. It's likely more bones will be needed to effectively recreate the fluid movement of a real snake. I also need to change the placement of the rig's 'neck' as it currently controls the front third of the snake and doesn't allow realistic movement or deformation of the head and affected body area.
