Scarlette - 2022 Colombian BCI

[Bogertophis]

When I've left it open I was a few feet away, not just sitting there and peering in. She wasn't being like, super closely monitored but I still needed to ensure cats didn't get into the enclosure and she wasn't gone.

That's what I mean- she's aware there is some large creature lurking in the room. Some snakes are wired this way, to sit still- they know instinctively they cannot "out-run" a predator. Rattlesnakes are the same way, fyi- I have lots of experience with them too- they hold their ground & wait for you to be gone- same thing. (And no, don't do this with loose cats- )

By the way, I've seen this behavior (sitting still when humans/predators are near) plenty of times in wild snakes. It goes like this: you spot a snake, it's not going anywhere, so you run to get your camera & when you get back moments later, it's vanished. It's what snakes do to survive.