I fear for my snake's intelligence too. I am just thankful he did not drown himself while I was away for a week, lol. My snake has done some pretty odd things in the short time I have had him.
Ate a mouse tail first...
Dove into his water dish...
Climbs the side of the tanks and gets too topsy turvy and slams into the ground...
For a while it seemed he didn't know the difference between hot and cold...
Strangely he has never not ate for me, though. :)