Snakes Don't Like An Audience While Eating

I wish I had some kind of clever double meaning to the title.  But I literally mean our snakes don't like eating while we're watching and have the light on.  We attempted to feed all four snakes their various size mice and rats but they weren't really into it like they usually are.  Or at least used to be.  Ever since we moved they haven't been nearly aggressive when it comes to their food.  They're kind of like, "Okay, I'll straggle it for a few seconds, then put it down, then maybe I'll sniff it and if you're lucky I'll eat the damn rodent."

So tonight Rusty the Cornsnake ate one of her three mice then disappeared into her hide.  We left Peanut his fuzzies because he eats them overnight while no one is stirring.  Then I fed Twinkie the Ball Python.  Ordinarily you dangle it in front of her hide and she snatches that thing and strangles it to death (by the way, we use only frozen/thawed mice and rats so this is instinct, not actual killing) then eats it after 5 minutes of strangling.  Tonight she didn't even strangle it.  She ran from it when I dangled it in front of her so finally I just put it down and left it there.  Monty the Ball Python leaped out and strangled hers right away and then released it.  We decided to bow out gracefully and let nature takes its course.

Before we left though, Monty and Twinkie had started on their Medium sized rats.  We turned off the light and left.

I went back half an hour later.  Rusty had eaten her other two mice, Twinkie had polished off her medium rat, and Monty was searching for more.  Thank goodness.  We'll check on Peanut the Sand Boa's progress in the morning.  He spends most of his time in the sand and sometimes it takes him a day or two to realize food is there.