I agree that racers are twitchy about being watched while eating, like Grandma at the family reunion--"Don't take my picture while I have food in my mouth!" My racers will occasionally feed while I watch but I have to remain motionless. The exceptions were two Blue Racers I conditioned last year for an associate who runs a nature center. They arrived from a dealer and were on the thin side. A few live fuzzy mice convinced them to eat everything in sight and the female, who was more agressive, actually came out of the cage in pursuit of a defrosted mouse held in forceps, dropped into a bucket, tolerated having the lid of the bucket put on and still ate her mouse while the male was being fed. Beast. After they gained enough weight to send on their way, I heard from their new caretaker that they are still shameless feeders, although he does offer baby quail, and who could resist that?

My coachwhips fit the description you offered, too. One dislikes the forceps and will sometimes reach around the defrosted mouse and strike the forceps. If I drop the mouse the snake goes right to it and eats it. I wonder if he knows the forceps are holding the mouse and he hits them to make them drop it. He occasionally shakes a mouse like a dog with a rag toy--once threw a mouse several feet out of his cage before I got the door closed (he just lost his grip--fumble! He ate it when I offered it again. Butterfangs) The other male Western just pounds food as soon as the door so much as cracks open. Looking into those coachwhip eyes, I believe he's certain he can get my head into his mouth if I just give him the chance. I think I will not give him the chance. I do have kind of a pin head--what if he's right?

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