I've definitely seen the same sort of thing with a bull snake I used to have. Unfortunately I don't have a good answer other than to say I think that perhaps some animals don't belong in cages- at least not of a size that fits in a house. I think the curtain idea helps for some, but for snakes like bull snakes, they're very active hunters, so for us to expect them to sit still all day long, day after day, isn't very realistic, is it? Hormones & the search for a mate may also be part of the problem too.
So the larger the snake is (along with the characteristics of their species) it's more likely to be a problem & should probably figure in to what we choose to keep as "pets". I don't think "racer" type snakes (such as coachwhips) belong in cages either- it's not fair to them. I have no experience with scrub pythons, btw- just with many other kinds of snakes. Even though a snake is captive-bred & "all their needs are being met", not all are going to be "happy campers" because their instincts are very influential, & just because you "can" buy one doesn't mean you "should", nor is it any guarantee it's going to be a great captive pet.
Certainly snakes that are hungry will be more restless, but feeding the snake every time it's pushing will most often end up with a very overweight & unhealthy snake. It's horrible to watch a beautiful snake destroying it's face by pushing- I wish there was a simple solution.
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