restless sand boa

Question
Hi Paul-
I bought a Kenyan Sand Boa in late January from a pet store.  Based on her
tail shape I think she is a female, although I am not certain. She is housed in
a 20 gallon aquarium with aspen shavings and a heat source underneath the
substrate.  She has a large bowl of water and a humidity chamber.  She was
fed frozen fuzzies at the pet store, and successfully ate the first few mice
that I fed her (once a week).  She has successfully shed once.  At first she was
eating fine and spending most of her time burrowed down in the substrate.  
However, over the last two weeks since she has shed, she has refused food,
and spends a lot of her time all over the cage obviously trying to get out.  She
seems to understand that the best way out is to try to get under the lid (a
screen with clips) because she spends a lot of time trying to prop herself up
there and nudging around trying to get under the lid.  My question is, could
this be some kind of "spring fever"?  Is she looking for a mate?  Should I be
concerned about this hyperactivity and loss of appetite?  Thank you for your
time.
Lisa

Answer
The first thing that comes to mind with a snake trying to escape it's enclosure it the temp. You mentioned a heat source under the tank. Is it under the entire tank? The snake should have a cool end with no heat source so that it can escape the heat if necessary. Also, what is the temp on the warm end? Too warm can make a snake hyperactive as well.

I wouldn't worry too much about it not eating just yet. You can also try a smaller size of mouse and see if that will do the trick, or even a fresh killed mouse if they are available near you.