You don't actually need any polygons for the body handles at all; but you may need them for other reasons. I put something in so that the user has something to click on, like a shadow part that has no connection to the rest of the mesh. These will be grouped as the body handle part, so they won't affect the morphability of the parent part. The new bones deform the original mesh because that's the way Poser works. If you imagine an arm bending, you may be altering the bend dial on the forearm; but the so-called shoulder will have to deform as well so that the joint won't tear apart. If you make the forearm invisible, and bend it, you'll see the effect on the shoulder. I'm not certain that bones are what you need, if you're making a snake-type figure. I may well have misread what you're trying to do. Can you post a shot of the bare mesh without giving too much away?