I Love This

[Tiny Boidae]

So, going through the motions of using Google's sometimes sarcastic search engine, I eventually stumbled across this jewel:

Enriching Your Snakes Life (http://whitepython.com/reptile-care/enriching-your-snakes-life/)

And I have to say I love it and will definitely be trying some (if not all) of these methods.

It repeats a lot of the same-old information that we've been beaten senseless with, but than it adds to it that can make our snakes' existences enriching. I mean there's new researching coming out that while snakes won't go chasing after a ball or jump through hoops, they're a lot more intelligent than we give them credit for and no matter how social (or anti-social) an animal is, an unenriched animal is a BORED one. You heard me, I said it and I'll even spell it out for you: B-O-R-E-D... Now what does that spell?...

...

Regardless, my sand boas will be getting a kick out of this, and I'll translate a lot of this over to my girls too and my future rat snake. Great article, a must read.

[Sasha2]

I think some species appreciate enrichment more then others. My corns seem to enjoy exploring new branches or stuff I put in the cages. My ball pythons not so much.
My sand boas are kept in shredded aspen, when I added a small tub filled with a eco earth/sand mix they spent a good part of their time in it so I think it was "appreciated".
Either that or the cage is too dry and they just like the humidity. But I feel good about adding things and mixing things up now and again for them.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I think each of my snakes would enjoy enrichment, even my ball python. My ball python will make use of every inch of any enclosure I put him in, just because it's at night doesn't mean he doesn't need enrichment. I'm hoping to add more types of enrichment to my snakes' enclosures when I upgrade them from their tubs, so far all I have are climbing plants, humid hides, and fake decorative plants. My garters are the easiest to provide enrichment for due to their small size, and the eastern especially loves the new decorations I've added.

[Tiny Boidae]

Sasha2-

Of course it isn't necessary, especially not for animals who tend to be on the lazier side of the spectrum, but they could still appreciate if you match it to their natural behavior. Granted, I understand these animals are shy and reclusive, but they don't spend their entire lives in holes and when they do come out for a little stroll, it'd be nice if they had something to capture their interest.

I still agree with your logic though, as my girls get tons of enrichment (time outdoors, varied prey items, weird trinkets I find in my boxes of clutter. They seem to enjoy it, even though Mei has a limited window of opportunity before Xiu takes it for herself XD ). Still, I'm trying some of this with my sand boas and I'm finding that they're a lot more active with it. They'd usually sit in one spot for the majority of the day and then roam for an hour or so at night, but I'm hiding their prey, trying different substrates, and even throwing in the shed skin of others into their enclosures. It's not a "they're-a-completely-different-snake" kind of difference, but they are more active and I'll find them utilizing a lot more space then they did before.


bigsnakegirl785-

Enrichment can be given to any animal, not just the chimps and dolphins of the world. You're not limited to what you find on the internet, and that's why it's a great idea to research the natural history of your species. You can apply something they'd do or encounter in the wild, and there you go you have a busy snake. Garters in particular are busy guys, so they'd definitely be a lot more appreciative of it.

[Sasha2]

I think half the fun of owning pets is giving them as good a life as possible no matter if its a fish or a dog.
My one female ball python is super shy, I got her as at a year old and she was kept in a tub in a breeders rack and never handled. So even though I have put in different things she tends to only stick with one hide unless she poops in it then she will move.Ive never seen her out and about so she must only go out in the middle of the night.

[Tiny Boidae]

Sasha2-

I can always tell when my sand boas are out and about. They leave tracks and holes all over the place, and if you dig in the substrate then there's a ton of little burrows interconnecting with one another. I spend a lot of time and effort keeping my animals happy and healthy, and I think it shows through.