Is she ready?

[padkison]

My G. pulchra female molted last week and looks like 4.5". I haven't gotten an accurate measurement because I don't wan't to disturb her. Here she is in a 2.5 g which is 5.5" across.

I want to breed her eventually. Question is whether she is mature enough yet?

 

[Slash]

My G. pulchra female molted last week and looks like 4.5". I haven't gotten an accurate measurement because I don't wan't to disturb her. Here she is in a 2.5 g which is 5.5" across.

I want to breed her eventually. Question is whether she is mature enough yet?

Black beauty!!!:worship:

I've never had a pulchra, but at 4.5" I'd say maybe wait it out one more molt?:? Maybe some one can tell you for sure. Good luck.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Trying now would not hurt at all. Females of most species will produce at 4.5. Just keep a close eye on them when they are mating. And good luck finding a mature male!

 

[P. Novak]

Go for it. My 4.5" Grammostola rosea mated, so since they are in the same genus it could be a sign. Plus, we(humans, hobbyists) overrate the size when they are ready to mate, they are mature alot earlier then we think. It really wouldn't hurt to try anyways, so give it a go.

I know someone that had a male about a week ago, not sure now, but it's worth a try, so if you really are interested in breeding PM me and I'll tell you. Hopefully the person still has the male.

 

[tacoma0680]

First I want to say i am jealous of that spider. I would say that it never hurts to try if she want to breed then she is ready and if not just take the male out and try again later.

 

[Boo]

What a beautiful spider you have there, good luck finding a male.
I just received some slings and it will be years before they are ready to breed.
If i'm not mistaken, it takes 7 years for this species to mature but I don't know when they are sexually mature.

 

[ballpython2]

Talken, if we mate a female and male tarantula of the same size (assuming both were ready to mate) wouldn't the chances of her killin the male be cut in half if they are the same size? because usually if a female kills a male she is like twice his size...wouldnt she re -think that if he was same size she is?

 

[Varden]

Talken, if we mate a female and male tarantula of the same size (assuming both were ready to mate) wouldn't the chances of her killin the male be cut in half if they are the same size? because usually if a female kills a male she is like twice his size...wouldnt she re -think that if he was same size she is?

That depends entirely on the species. I mated my 5" L. difficilis female to a 7" mature male. She took him out the instant the deed was done. Now, I will say, I left him in there deliberately hoping she'd eat him and save me from having to put him in the freezer. If you feed your female up extremely well the week you intend to begin breeding her, and if your male is fresh and strong, chances are extremely good that he'll make it out of there just fine. By extremely good, I mean give her a hopper or a hisser the day before you intend to breed. If she's full, she's more likely to be in a mating mood and less likely to snack the male afterward.

 

[P. Novak]

Talken, if we mate a female and male tarantula of the same size (assuming both were ready to mate) wouldn't the chances of her killin the male be cut in half if they are the same size? because usually if a female kills a male she is like twice his size...wouldnt she re -think that if he was same size she is?

I don't think the size would matter to a female, they're the ones that need to be courted, the male must wants to mate. He'll die doing it too. I've never heard of a mature male killing a female, but I'm pretty sure that has to be atleast one case. Anyways that is very very rare, but I rest my case.