MM that isn't drumming

Sana

Arachnoprince
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Oct 26, 2014
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As the title states, I have a MM who isn't drumming. He's a P. cancerides and is happy to walk up to his MF counterpart but he doesn't drum. Ever. For clarification purposes I am sure that he's mature. Both emboli and tibial spurs are present. Both tarantulas are healthy, eat regularly, have continuous access to water, and hides that they blatantly ignore. I've never had a male that didn't drum when approaching a female so I'm not super sure what to do. I would very much like to pair them but I can't tell if she's accepting of the plan or not. Any thoughts?
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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Oct 25, 2014
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It could be a couple of things.. Your female could be too young and she isn't giving off any pheromones.. Your male may not have created a sperm web yet.. If the palps aren't full why would he risk it ya'know.. He could also just be a bum male.. It happens..

About 8 months ago maybe longer my Nephew recieved a MM cancerides from a friend of mine.. She had attempted to breed him with a few of her girls and for some reason he would just sit there untill her girl(s) would try to approach and then he would run off.. My Nephew is a newer keeper so I pair his tarantulas for him.. I introduced the male to his female and he sat that there motionless for about 10 minutes.. I gently nudged him towards the female and as soon as his leg touched hers he began drumming.. She drummed back and he went to work.. Unfortunately she molted out but that's not the point.. For months he did nothing with five different females Untill he met one that was more subdued. He was what I refer to as a wimpy male.. Too scared to move.

I recently had a MM H.sp Columbia do something similar.. He made a sperm web before I paired him but once he was introduced he feared the female.. Luckily for him I fed her like a tank so he wasn't consumed.. For weeks I watched her follow him around and he would just run off.. She was deffinately mature, freshly molted and so fat she could pop there was no reason not to breed.. He was just a bum male..

You can introduce some of the females substrate and or webbing into his enclosure and put his enclosure next to hers.. The scent transfer might be enough to stimulate him to breed better. All you can do is keep introducing them untill they mate or she eats him.
 
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Sana

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He's not running away at this point. He walks straight toward her but doesn't drum. I know that she's mature and I have seen the remnants of a sperm web in his enclosure so I don't think that is likely the issue. I guess I'm just going to have to cross my fingers and see what she does when he approaches. I'm familiar with how fast my female is (she has the everything is food mentality) and she's got the pounce across the enclosure from dead still move down. Hopefully I can intervene fast enough if there's a problem.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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He's not running away at this point. He walks straight toward her but doesn't drum. I know that she's mature and I have seen the remnants of a sperm web in his enclosure so I don't think that is likely the issue. I guess I'm just going to have to cross my fingers and see what she does when he approaches. I'm familiar with how fast my female is (she has the everything is food mentality) and she's got the pounce across the enclosure from dead still move down. Hopefully I can intervene fast enough if there's a problem.
They don't always drum..I have had countless males walk straight up to a female and start lifting her.. The responce from the female is more of a you surprised me now I'll eat you. Which the male does his best to muscle through. Some have been eaten right off the bat..

I'm not understanding your problem.

So you put the male in with the female and he just approaches her and then what? Does he touch her and completely ignore her? How does she behave? I need more details but to me from what your describing it's what I thought.. Either he's a bum, she's not ready for whatever reason or he's scared..
 

Sana

Arachnoprince
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Honestly since he wasn't drumming but he certainly looked like a meal waiting to happen I removed him from her enclosure. He was about four inches from her and walking straight at her without any indication that he was trying to get her attention. She never moved at all. I decided that I was going with better safe than sorry and ask here before I try to introduce him again. He has never drummed that I'm aware of. Not in her enclosure or his own. The tarantula room is my bedroom and my MMs are well known for waking me up with drumming but never him.
 

14pokies

Arachnoprince
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Honestly since he wasn't drumming but he certainly looked like a meal waiting to happen I removed him from her enclosure. He was about four inches from her and walking straight at her without any indication that he was trying to get her attention. She never moved at all. I decided that I was going with better safe than sorry and ask here before I try to introduce him again. He has never drummed that I'm aware of. Not in her enclosure or his own. The tarantula room is my bedroom and my MMs are well known for waking me up with drumming but never him.
I would try the pairing again. Keep a ruler and set of tongs handy incase she isn't receptive. As I had said earlier I have had many males just walk straight up to the female and get the insert..
If she is relatively freshly molted and he has filled his palps the longer you wait your increasing the odds she will molt out.. As time goes on his virility is going to diminish also.. You might as well roll the dice on him while the odds of producing a good sac are still in your favor..

The only reason I would say to hold off is if you have a friend or someone else with a few fresh females that has experience breeding the species.. You could try your male with there females.. Honestly though if it's your first time breeding the species I would say go for it.. Nothing risked is always nothing gained ;)..

Good luck if you decide a second pairing..
 

awiec

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Feb 13, 2014
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When I paired my T.gigas, the male didn't drum, he shook his abdomen instead and then tackled the female for insertions. Je would drum in his cage but once in jer presence, he got down to business.
 

Sana

Arachnoprince
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Thanks everybody! I'm going to give it a try later this week and see how it goes.
 
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