Oh how cute! I love it when my guy does this kind of thing. It definitely seems to be normal ball python curiosity. They really can be quite inquisitive at times. Mine has made a habit of resting almost like this but most of the time it will just be his little nose and heat pits peeking over that cross beam on the tank. I have the same style of tank you do and he seems to love resting there. The funny thing is I only see him do this about 20 minutes after I put him back after handling. He will slither into his hide, make a few circles inside of it and come right back out and rest his nose against the front of the tank, almost like he is begging to come out. I think I may have contributed to this by teaching him that the door opens. A while back I noticed him at the front of the tank and opened his door for him to come out on his own. He has been lurking at the door after handling ever since. You really gotta love these guys, such delightful personalities. ^_^