Quote Originally Posted by Team Slytherin View Post
No need to qualify that you are new - your instincts are very good! There is definitely something psychologically unusual going on; it’s just difficult to decipher because he can’t speak English! I do regularly bring him new plants, leaves, roots when I go out adventuring. His branches cannot be moved because they are mounted, but I will regularly add to them. He’s been in this enclosure only a month, so he hopefully isn’t getting TOO bored. We practice choice based handling, so he does know if he comes down to the glass, chances are, I’ll let him out to play.

It used to be easy to let him out to climb on my walls of art, but he has just gotten so big that he just knocks everything over! I’m trying to figure out some good enrichment ideas that can accommodate a snake of his size and athleticism. It’s a tough feat in an LA apartment He’s 8 feet of extreme intelligence with an ultra-prehensile tail that always wants to grab something…. He is also constantly singing to himself (or me; it’s often difficult to tell)…Apophis has always been an interesting cat, but his current neuroses are definitely causing some concern. He’s been burrowing under his water bowl to escape - which is VERY unusual behavior for an arboreal snake. He’s getting a mouth full of soil every time because he thinks he might be able to get behind the foam background to hide, like he could in his old enclosure. News flash, I built it specifically to prevent him from doing that!
Quote Originally Posted by Team Slytherin View Post
No need to qualify that you are new - your instincts are very good! There is definitely something psychologically unusual going on; it’s just difficult to decipher because he can’t speak English! I do regularly bring him new plants, leaves, roots when I go out adventuring. His branches cannot be moved because they are mounted, but I will regularly add to them. He’s been in this enclosure only a month, so he hopefully isn’t getting TOO bored. We practice choice based handling, so he does know if he comes down to the glass, chances are, I’ll let him out to play.

It used to be easy to let him out to climb on my walls of art, but he has just gotten so big that he just knocks everything over! I’m trying to figure out some good enrichment ideas that can accommodate a snake of his size and athleticism. It’s a tough feat in an LA apartment He’s 8 feet of extreme intelligence with an ultra-prehensile tail that always wants to grab something…. He is also constantly singing to himself (or me; it’s often difficult to tell)…Apophis has always been an interesting cat, but his current neuroses are definitely causing some concern. He’s been burrowing under his water bowl to escape - which is VERY unusual behavior for an arboreal snake. He’s getting a mouth full of soil every time because he thinks he might be able to get behind the foam background to hide, like he could in his old enclosure. News flash, I built it specifically to prevent him from doing that!
Thanks. I appreciate the confidence boost. I just know others probably have more experience with snakes so I just feel like I don't fully have the experience to say much lol.

I know this might not be ideal but is there a way you could maybe take him outside even if it's to a nearby park or something. Maybe that could get his energy out. Although the outside world is definitely difficult with any snake like alone a big one so this might not be possible.

Um... Maybe get a ladder that matches your deco and have that for him to climb on. Just take out or open when in use type thing?

And I wonder if he just needs to keep doing the water bowl burrowing until he realizes that's not getting him anywhere or maybe moving the water bowl would help. I'm not sure how arboreal snakes work in that department.

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