You might want to try it just to see if it encourages him to come out of his hide more. Just get a dark cloth or even black construction paper and cover up a bit of his tank sides (I'm assuming it's a glass tank). To be honest, as friendly as my son's young male boa is, that snake loves his darned hide. It's a huge black plastic bowl I found one hallowe'en - meant to hold candy at the door. Sev just loves it even though he really doesn't need the "privacy" factor in the room he's housed in. I figure if it makes him happy then why not. We are building him his own custom cage soon to give him the ability to climb as our big female has so I think then he may likely be out and about more than he is now in his large glass tank.