Breeding Question

[Botar]

I've recently acquired a mature male Chilean Rose-hair and I'm wanting to mate it with a mature female owned by a friend of mine. Neither of us have any experience with this process. Both are mature and the female has not molted in the last 6 months since my friend has had her. The female is feeding regularly. What size enclosure should we use? I believe the female is currently in a 2.5 gal glass enclosure. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Vayu Son]

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Theres alot of factors to consider. Reference to the Tarantula Keepers Guide by Schultz and Schultz.


-V

 

[skinheaddave]

So far, my experiences have been pretty possitive. I take my male T and introduce him into the female enclosure in a way that disturbs him the least. At first that invovled putting him in a container and then releasing him, as the female was in a very deep container. Recently, I have been getting him to crawl onto his bark and transfering him over that way (my females are in shallower containers these days).

I then wait until they manage to find each other. Then they do their thing as I sit poised with a wooden spoon to interfere should things get nasty. The first time such interference was needed, though it hasn't been needed since. The male scuttles away (one reason I do all of this inside a large tupperware container) and I collect both specimens in their respective containers.

While our P.regalis seem to show lots of drumming etc. (and not much actual mating), our G.rosea don't seem to do much in the foreplay department. Two times the male has just walked up to her and initiated things. Once she walked up to him.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Botar]

Thanks

Thanks for the info. I've already referred to The T Keeper Guide and it said to seek the advice of fellow enthusiasts who have bred the same species. I've learned more in this forum for the last two weeks than I have from reading the three different books I have. Thanks to everyone... your discussions have been very informative.

 

[Wade]

My first breeding attempt (with spiders, that is ) was with G. rosea. I pretty much followed the procedure described by Marshall in "Tarantulas and Other Arachnids". That is, I placed the two cages side by side on the floor, removed the lids, and gently coaxed the male towards the females cage. Once he's close, I let him do his own thing. It's important to do this on a low surface, because after the mating the male may want to bolt, rapidily, away from her. You don't want him to drop off a table!

Wade

 

[Botar]

I have that book as well, but it's been a while since I've referenced it... thank you. How long after G. rosea is bred will you know if the mating was successful? How long (I know it will be approximate) until eggs are laid?

 

[Wade]

With tarantulas (and most other spiders, I imagine), there is't really a set time between mating and egg laying. This is because eggs often develop without mating. Many of us have no doubt had unmated tarantulas lay inferile eggsacs. If your tarantula has developed eggs in her body, she may lay very soon after mating...My G. rosea female dropped her sac after only about two weeks after the last mating attempt! I've also had tarantulas drop eggsacs over a year after mating. The eggs are not fertilized until the tarantula lays them, so, surprisingly, the mating doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the time the sac is made! Knowing when the last molt occured, however may aid in making educated guesses, however. More experienced breeders may have something to add on that point.

In short, a FERTILE eggsac may be made anytime between mating and the females next molt. If she molts, all is lost because the stored sperm is lost with the molt.

Wade