I've had several boas over time that preferred to use the substrate as their hide vs the hide provided.

I wish I could help but I can't.  However, I CAN commiserate.  My ball python has been hiding underneath her waterbowl as of late.  Also near the cool side.  Her temps are fine too!  She even has a nice hide over on the cool side - yet she prefers to be under the water bowl - which at the present moment weighs more than she does.  I don't get it either.  Moved her so I could change her water and lead her to the warm side.  She chilled there for a day or two, then returned to under the bowl.  /facepalm

That's a question only your snake knows the answer to.  My guess would be she simply wanted to be someplace cool and dark...

I agree with Joe. My BP does the same thing. She doesn't hide under the bedding, but she will be sleep in the cooler area of her tub. She also likes her water dish, aka pie pan, as a sleeping spot. I used to worry about her getting to cold, but she has always been fine. 

Hi Joe :-)

You said that's a question only the snake knows the answer to - so I asked Banana.  She stuck her tongue out at me.  I don't know what that means, because I don't speak snake.

Hi Emily :-)  That's an easy one... She said, "If it's nice outside, you should take me out for some sun and fresh air"

I agree with the general consensus. :) All but one of my snakes will hide under the substrate or hang out towards the cooler end of their tub every once in awhile. And none of my snakes use hides, I stopped offering when I moved them into racks because they just never touched them.

Emily, i had a ratsnake that loved carving out a little home and hiding under his heavy stone water bowl, all of the time! I let him make that his happy spot until I almost dropped the bowl on him. (and it's a pretty darn heavy bowl), after that I had to push all of the aspen from under it and set it directly on the enclosure floor, I didn't want to risk accidently hurting my boy.

@Mermaid:  YES!  That's a huge fear of mine!  I have no idea how she's so happy under there with the bowl being heavier than she is (she's only about 8 months).  I make sure I have a great hold on the bowl, lift a small bit, set on top of her hide to get a better grip, then remove.  

I thought about doing what you did - as in sitting the bowl directly on the bottom of her enclosure floor.  But she seems happy - she's so odd.  But as my time with her progresses, I think I just have to learn and ACCEPT that's she's a silly, odd little creature :)

Aaron, I don't know why they do this. I've heard of other people's snakes acting this way before, but its not 'typical' of mine so I too take it as an abnormality when my snakes act that way.

My Common Northern Boa has been acting sort of the same way. She would burry herself in the dirt beneath or next to her hide on the cool side and sit there for what seemed like days. I got her a bigger hide since her old one was getting a bit stuffy, and now she hides in there all the time instead. I was worried that she wasn't moving at all until I woke up one night with her staring at me, inches from my face (her cage is beside my bed). I concluded that she does come out at night, but I don't know why she isn't active in the day anymore. She used to be way more active.

If you find something that helps this in your snake, please let me know. I feel like I need to do something for her, like she's pouting or something, but I just don't know what. Her temps are fine, humidity is fine, she eats like a beast and craps like an elephant, and sheds great. She seems healthy but I still feel like something is bothering her and that's why she's acting this way.

@Emily :   My baby male BP has been doing the same thing lately. He is similar in age, about six or seven months. He is eating normally, defecating often and shedding nicely.It scares me because he's so little, but fortunately the water bowl I use for them is a synthetic material (plastic or something) and is pretty light. When he's hungry, he peeks his little head out and looks for me and if he sees me, he will usually come out and wait for his turn to be put in his feeding bin. I worry that he won't be warm enough on the cool side to digest his meals, but he seems to be fine. I think its just their place of choice. Strange little critters.

I did ask him at one point what was going on with him, and the response I got was similar to that which you got from Banana; D'Artagnon looked me in the face(he likes to stare you in the eyes lol) and flicked his little tongue a few times. I believe it translates to "You are a paranoid mother; I'm perfectly fine. Now, let me crawl in your hair."

If given the chance (they are both of newspaper now) both of my boas burrow. It's a normal behavior for most terrestrial snakes I believe.

@YShennanBot -- why yes, I do think Banana mocks me and calls me paranoid.  She prefers my glasses to the hair - although she isn't opposed to the latter.

Thanks for the replies guys - was concerned as she's never done this before that it might be a signal to a problem.  She's not done it again yet and given how common it seems to be I'll stop stressing about it for now :)

A little addional info and maybe an answer: I was a couple of days late feeding Verdani this week and when I looked for her in her viv I couldn't find her in her usual basking spot or in her hide.

I found her once again buried in the substrate with just a small part of her head and eye showing and when I started to move the substrate she half struck for me before recoiling and looking apologetic

I think (in her case at least) the burying is a hunting tactic. When she's hungry she comes down from her branch, buries herself and waits for some poor unsuspecting creature to happen past.

Love the behaviour but feel bad she'll never catch anything that way.

Brazilian Rainbow Boas are terrestrial snakes that like to burrow, so this could easily be normal behavior.

At the same time, though, Brazilian Rainbow Boas are intolerant of high temperatures. Temperatures above 85*F can be fatal to a BRB.