Answer:
Often held but never touched. Always wet but never rusts. Often bits but seldom bit. To use it well you must have wit.
A leathery snake, with a stinging bite. I'll stay coiled up, unless I must fight.
As soft as silk, as white as milk, as bitter as gall, a thick green wall, and a green coat covers me all.
What goes in the water black and comes out red?
What is red and nailed to a wall?
What covers its face with its hands, speaks no language, yet most known what it's saying?