Is this a question to an story you had to do research on or had to read if so, can you please send a link so I can answer correctly.
Answer:
Depicting a staff as snakelike could possibly mean that it is just shaped a way a snake is; what I mean is that it may just be twirly or curvy. However if you are relating it towards symbolism it may represent evil, and possibly sneaky because snakes tend to be associated with being sly and representing the devil, which is again evil/darkness.
