Fingers Crossed!!!

Najakeeper

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So yesterday evening (15/7/2016) I put my newly acquired male Theraphosa blondi into the enclosure of my recently molted young adult female and about 15 minutes of this ensued:




Not visible in the video but I have witnessed a few insertions I think. Finally, the female had enough and the male backed into his enclosure without incident.

I will try again after a fresh sperm web and feeding. But fingers crossed!
 
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Ellenantula

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Is there a reason to try again? (wondering why risk a male who did a good job)

Anyway -- best of luck!!! :)
 

Najakeeper

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Just making sure it is all good. I don't expect the female to show immediate hostility with a full belly.
 

Najakeeper

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Trial number two after a fresh spermweb. I set up the Go-pro and everything but she ended it pretty quickly. I don't think there were any insertions but I don't know. Male is perfectly fine.

 

Poec54

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Repeated pairings is how you get males killed. I don't do that, but most of the males I've sent out on breeding loans were paired up 2 or 3 times and wound up killed. I don't see the point. The female's pouch can hold just so much sperm. BTW, fatten females aren't immune from killing males.
 

Najakeeper

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Repeated pairings is how you get males killed. I don't do that, but most of the males I've sent out on breeding loans were paired up 2 or 3 times and wound up killed. I don't see the point. The female's pouch can hold just so much sperm. BTW, fatten females aren't immune from killing males.
Thanks for the comment. I do not disagree at all. I guess I just value a male tarantula's life less than potentially increasing the chance of getting a viable sac.
 
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Jones0911

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Repeated pairings is how you get males killed. I don't do that, but most of the males I've sent out on breeding loans were paired up 2 or 3 times and wound up killed. I don't see the point. The female's pouch can hold just so much sperm. BTW, fatten females aren't immune from killing males.

Also haven't you said before that many Ts can double clutch even only after being paired one time as long as the female doesn't molt?
 

Poec54

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Thanks for the comment. I do not disagree at all. I guess I just value a male tarantula's life less than potentially increasing the chance of getting a viable sac.

Then don't re-pair them. I think it's nervous old lady advice. My classic example:
O violaceopes female. Had a male mature in the fall and paired them up for one night. She molted by the end of the year and fortunately I still had the male. Even though there's a lot of poor advice saying: 'Leave him in until he's eaten', 'It's a good sign if the male gets eaten.' I paired them up again for one night and got a big sac in the spring of 150 large slings (3/4" at 2nd instar). All eggs and slings were good. She double-clutched later in the summer and laid a 2nd sac of 100 equally large slings, all good. This was all from one pairing, 250 big babies. Had I followed 'the common wisdom' I'd have never gotten a sac.
 

Najakeeper

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Then don't re-pair them. I think it's nervous old lady advice. My classic example:
O violaceopes female. Had a male mature in the fall and paired them up for one night. She molted by the end of the year and fortunately I still had the male. Even though there's a lot of poor advice saying: 'Leave him in until he's eaten', 'It's a good sign if the male gets eaten.' I paired them up again for one night and got a big sac in the spring of 150 large slings (3/4" at 2nd instar). All eggs and slings were good. She double-clutched later in the summer and laid a 2nd sac of 100 equally large slings, all good. This was all from one pairing, 250 big babies. Had I followed 'the common wisdom' I'd have never gotten a sac.
Cool story.

I paired them twice and the second one was short due to female hostility as seen in the video, which tells me no need to go for #3 anyway. Male is young and has residual value so I will send him to someone who needs him.

Cheers...
 
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