Thermostat probe placement in my tank?

[Bogertophis]

Yes he is a baby still. But that's why he can squish his nose into the gap and I am compelled to stop it but a snake doesn't listen when I scold him obviously like my cats do ��.
He also stops moving suddenly while actively exploring. Then he sits completely still for a few seconds and quickly moves again.
Like his mind was beamed into another dimension for a while.
Since snakes are not the most emotional and or social creatures we assume them to be driven by instict and primal needs mostly. So the assumption a snake would act a certain predisposed way is natural I believe. You wouldn't expect them to have mood swings and personality changes as much as say a dog.
Anyhow I'll be making a vet visit sometime soon to be absolutely sure there is nothing wrong even if it's unnessesary.

There shouldn't BE any "gaps" -at least none that are big enough for him to get much of his nose into. And you're right, "scolding" doesn't work on deaf pets.

Snakes that are observed by potential predators (YOU) may stop moving, in hopes their natural camouflage keeps them safe from harm. Not an issue, & he's not brain-beamed elsewhere.

Snakes have more personality than you or many others might assume. They're not robots, nor are they as dumb as some like to claim- if they were, mine wouldn't remember me & remain tame without constant reinforcement, & yet, somehow they do. While they may not have "moods" & "emotions" the way WE experience them, they're still not robots.

Vet visit for no real purpose is LIKELY to make his stress WORSE, while not actually helping anything. Don't say you weren't told. But I'm sure a vet will cheerfully accept your money to look at him. It's not about a vet visit being unnecessary, it's about that visit making his issues (stress) worse, while also potentially exposing him to new pathogens (germs) while in the office. Ever notice that the best place for a human to catch the current flu virus is in the doctor's waiting room during flu season? Just saying.