Priceless Guppies!

[guidofatherof5]

Once again the power of the guppy comes through. I had placed a very small radix in a container with a couple baby nightcrawler and earthworms. 15 hours later nothing had been eaten. I stopped by the local pet shop and picked up 50 guppies. I threw about 6 guppies in and the snake lit up and started biting at every moving thing. In its hurry to catch one of the guppies it grabbed a worm and ate it down.
I don't think the response was to movement as the worms I put in were moving all the time. It had to be the guppies and the smell of guppies that set this snake off. So, its specific food request became a non-specific request once guppies were introduced.

There is power in them there guppies.

[guidofatherof5]

Tonight I went to feed a few stubborn Het. albino radixes. These guys have been holding out for guppies. I was out of guppies but did have access to some guppy water. My water snakes had polished off 50 guppies in the blink of an eye but their water still had that fish scent.
I first placed the little radix in the container and added the freshly dug earthworm. The little scrub showed no interest. I then carried the container downstairs to get some guppy soup. I no sooner sprinkled a little water in the container when the little radix grabbed a worm. 3 worms later and the container was empty but the radix was full.
That fishy smell really gets them going.

[bkhuff1s]

I went to my local pet store, and it turns out they get all their guppies from Florida, and apparently a cold winter knocked out ALL of the guppy farms there...

[Hollis_Steed]

I'm only starting to realize how important smell is to these little slitherins! You can almost trick them into eating anything if it smells like their favorite dish!

Tonight I went to feed a few stubborn Het. albino radixes. These guys have been holding out for guppies. I was out of guppies but did have access to some guppy water. My water snakes had polished off 50 guppies in the blink of an eye but their water still had that fish scent.
I first placed the little radix in the container and added the freshly dug earthworm. The little scrub showed no interest. I then carried the container downstairs to get some guppy soup. I no sooner sprinkled a little water in the container when the little radix grabbed a worm. 3 worms later and the container was empty but the radix was full.
That fishy smell really gets them going.

[ConcinusMan]

I'm only starting to realize how important smell is to these little slitherins! You can almost trick them into eating anything if it smells like their favorite dish!

True. Especially if their favorite dish is FISH!

[guidofatherof5]

I'm doing it again and enjoying it more and more. These little radixes and Checkereds think they are in a container full guppies but in fact it's 2 part guppies and 10 part cut-up worms. All it takes is one of those guppies to start flopping around and the odds are in my favor they strike and get worms.
I wonder where all the worms chunks have gone

[ConcinusMan]

Somebody get those kids a bib.

[guidofatherof5]

Once again the guppies come through.
I was given a group of non-eaters from a friend. One baby was too far gone and it died overnight.
The others all started eating this morning. Slashing guppies worked their magic again. My only concern is the
"Last Supper" syndrome I've seen in the past.http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/husbandry/6809-last-supper.html
My fingers are crossed and prayers are going out to these little ones. The next 48 hours will be make or break for them.