Well, I finally worked up the nerve to give it a try. My male rosie matured not long ago, and my female molted only about 3 months back. Prior to that it had been at least a year and a half since her last molt. So I figured there's no time like the present.
I think they were successful. Here's a full account and a couple of pics for those who may be interested. This was my first time to try mating two T's, so this was pretty exciting to me. I probably didn't do things just right, but in the end I think it worked out okay.
I decided to put the male into Daisy's cage, since she's got a slightly roomier enclosure. First I removed her hide (which she literally never uses, ever) and her water dish to make more room. I wanted to herd her down to one end of the enclosure so I could put the male at the other end and let them start in their separate corners. When I started to stroke her back legs with a paintbrush, she wasn't having it. Instead of scooting forward like she usually does (though I don't often interact with or mess with them at all), she turned around and gave me the threat posture. I waited a few minutes for her to chill out and then tried again, this time stroking her legs with a finger instead of the brush. She went on into the corner like I wanted.
Next I got Howard, my slightly skittish male, and put him in at the other end, about 8-10" away from her. Right off the bat he wanted to try to climb back out of the shallow enclosure, but I gently prodded him back down. I waited for 10 minutes or so and neither one of them moved. So I gradually prodded Howard forward a little. He too, was a little irritable and reared up at the brush a bit. At this point I was thinking about calling it off, since they both seemed to be in a pissy mood. He got to the halfway point and still no drumming or courtship, and no response from her. They were just sitting there.
She was in the corner, facing away. I gently nudged her bit by bit in his direction, stopping to wait after each movement to see if they would proceed on their own. Then, when they got close, they went at each other, both rearing up and her baring her fangs. I was on the verge of interceding, as I thought they were just going to fight. Their front legs met in the air above them and started flailing madly. Then Howard went in low and hooked her fangs. They went into the pose that I've seen in pictures here on the boards, and he pushed her back into the corner, vertically up against the side of the cage, and went to town with his palps.
Now, I have read in other peoples' breeding reports that they witnessed x number of good insertions. But I'll be honest here: I couldn't see a damn thing amidst all of those legs, except that once he had her against the wall, he moved them around quite a bit and had plenty of time and opportunity to get 'em in. I CAN say that he was at least in the right neighborhood, and I think he must have succeeded. She was relatively still, as was he (except for some periodic movement of his palps) for about 3 or 4 minutes.
Then he started easing backward and letting her down. When they had just about separated and only their forelegs were touching (still up in the air), I stuck the bristles of the paintbrush in front of her to allow Howard to make good his escape. She still had her fangs bared, but I really think that if she'd wanted to tag him, I wouldn't have been able to stop her. Anyway, with a quickness that would have made Snoop Dogg proud, he was "out the do'" and climbed up and out of the enclosure. I let him walk onto my hand and then returned him to his own home, where he spent some time grooming and is now just chillin'. Daisy is still just sitting there in about the same spot like a pet rock.
Sorry to be so long-winded. I realize this is probably all old hat to most of you, but maybe someone who is thinking about trying it will be interested.
I'm wondering though: If Howard was successful in fertilizing her, how long will it (roughly, on average) before she makes an egg sac?
Thanks!!
Case
{edit: Oh yeah, here's a couple pics I took}
I think they were successful. Here's a full account and a couple of pics for those who may be interested. This was my first time to try mating two T's, so this was pretty exciting to me. I probably didn't do things just right, but in the end I think it worked out okay.
I decided to put the male into Daisy's cage, since she's got a slightly roomier enclosure. First I removed her hide (which she literally never uses, ever) and her water dish to make more room. I wanted to herd her down to one end of the enclosure so I could put the male at the other end and let them start in their separate corners. When I started to stroke her back legs with a paintbrush, she wasn't having it. Instead of scooting forward like she usually does (though I don't often interact with or mess with them at all), she turned around and gave me the threat posture. I waited a few minutes for her to chill out and then tried again, this time stroking her legs with a finger instead of the brush. She went on into the corner like I wanted.
Next I got Howard, my slightly skittish male, and put him in at the other end, about 8-10" away from her. Right off the bat he wanted to try to climb back out of the shallow enclosure, but I gently prodded him back down. I waited for 10 minutes or so and neither one of them moved. So I gradually prodded Howard forward a little. He too, was a little irritable and reared up at the brush a bit. At this point I was thinking about calling it off, since they both seemed to be in a pissy mood. He got to the halfway point and still no drumming or courtship, and no response from her. They were just sitting there.
She was in the corner, facing away. I gently nudged her bit by bit in his direction, stopping to wait after each movement to see if they would proceed on their own. Then, when they got close, they went at each other, both rearing up and her baring her fangs. I was on the verge of interceding, as I thought they were just going to fight. Their front legs met in the air above them and started flailing madly. Then Howard went in low and hooked her fangs. They went into the pose that I've seen in pictures here on the boards, and he pushed her back into the corner, vertically up against the side of the cage, and went to town with his palps.
Now, I have read in other peoples' breeding reports that they witnessed x number of good insertions. But I'll be honest here: I couldn't see a damn thing amidst all of those legs, except that once he had her against the wall, he moved them around quite a bit and had plenty of time and opportunity to get 'em in. I CAN say that he was at least in the right neighborhood, and I think he must have succeeded. She was relatively still, as was he (except for some periodic movement of his palps) for about 3 or 4 minutes.
Then he started easing backward and letting her down. When they had just about separated and only their forelegs were touching (still up in the air), I stuck the bristles of the paintbrush in front of her to allow Howard to make good his escape. She still had her fangs bared, but I really think that if she'd wanted to tag him, I wouldn't have been able to stop her. Anyway, with a quickness that would have made Snoop Dogg proud, he was "out the do'" and climbed up and out of the enclosure. I let him walk onto my hand and then returned him to his own home, where he spent some time grooming and is now just chillin'. Daisy is still just sitting there in about the same spot like a pet rock.
Sorry to be so long-winded. I realize this is probably all old hat to most of you, but maybe someone who is thinking about trying it will be interested.
I'm wondering though: If Howard was successful in fertilizing her, how long will it (roughly, on average) before she makes an egg sac?
Thanks!!
Case
{edit: Oh yeah, here's a couple pics I took}
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