Need some additional "expert" mating advice

[Cirith Ungol]

...before I go at it tomorrow... well, not me but the two little ones

We're talking roseas. Both are in identical tanks, so to try and have them warm up towards eachother a bit I've turned the tank fronts towards each other. The tanks have ventilated front doors. Eventhough I did that I havn't seen any unusual behaviour yet, neither male or female have been climbing the front, in short, they've been their usual passive selves.

To the problem:
The male is a bit on the high strung side, so touching is a nono. The tanks are pretty small if you have 2 T's in the same tank so I'm wondering if it's such a good idea to capture the male and put him in with the female if all it may end with is an irritated male in close proximity to a female.

So my other idea was this - I could just open the front doors in both tanks and push them onto eachother again. That way they can do what they want in their own time. But with that idea I'm worried about what happens if the female wonders off into the males tank instead of the other way... would he possibly be aggro because she enters his domain?

Are there other methods? Putting the female in a larger tank would be possible but then I'd have to allow her a week in peace before introducing the male.

What you think? What you say?

 

[Brian S]

I mated G roseas last year and I had both in normal kritter keepers. I just placed the male in there and they did their thing.I kept the top off just in case which was a good thing. The whole process only takes a few minutes. I repeated this about 4 or 5 times and then she decided molt......but anyway, if the female is ready to mate it wont be no problem getting them to hook up

 

[Cirith Ungol]

I mated G roseas last year and I had both in normal kritter keepers. I just placed the male in there and they did their thing.I kept the top off just in case which was a good thing. The whole process only takes a few minutes. I repeated this about 4 or 5 times and then she decided molt......but anyway, if the female is ready to mate it wont be no problem getting them to hook up

Let's say this.... I'll give it a try tomorrow to get him to go over and visit the lady... though I'm highly skeptical. As soon as I'll remove the lid he'll run into his hide and stay in there until 2008 or something .

On the other hand... maybe that works to my advantage. The hide is a ceramic one with just an opening to the front. I could cover it and move it right up to the front doors, then open it all up and when he comes out he'll basically be forced to take his first steps in the females tank. By that time I hope he'll notice that there's a lady in the room so that he can do his thing.

I only dread trying to catch him again once it's over... he thinks he's a GBB/OBT mix.

 

[Brian S]

Let's say this.... I'll give it a try tomorrow to get him to go over and visit the lady... though I'm highly skeptical. As soon as I'll remove the lid he'll run into his hide and stay in there until 2008 or something .

Just dig him out.

On the other hand... maybe that works to my advantage. The hide is a ceramic one with just an opening to the front. I could cover it and move it right up to the front doors, then open it all up and when he comes out he'll basically be forced to take his first steps in the females tank. By that time I hope he'll notice that there's a lady in the room so that he can do his thing.

bah, thats doing it the hard way, dig him up and scoop him in a deli cup, open the girl's cage and coax him in there. If she is ready and he is ready, the drumming will begin followed by some porn

I only dread trying to catch him again once it's over... he thinks he's a GBB/OBT mix.

Many spiders seem to be much less defensive after they are removed from their retreat/cage. Maybe yours will be the same way. If you lived close to me I could show you first hand how to do this......just keep it simple

 

[Arachnophiles]

I had a similar situation with a matured B.albopilosum whom would disappear into his burrow at the slightest disturbance. However once removed (ie dug up), he was remarkably calm and soon got the 'wandering' fever

If you are still unsure about placing the male directly in with the female, then get him tubbed up and try 'sharking' in her cage for a day or so to try and provoke a reaction.

 

[DanHalen]

I'm not as expert, as I'm sure you are indeed aware But I've posted recently about my success with G. Rosea mating.

Instead of picking him up, try opening the doors and tapping! It really worked well for me. Simulated tapping with a long pen (or in my case a plastic knitting needle) was pretty much like an arachnid little blue pill In fact, my male got so confused (and I was tapping a little close) that he briefly embraced and tried to "get it on" with it

The female got jealous and came to break things up though

It was pretty amusing

 

[Gesticulator]

Cirith, I think it going to be easier than you anticipate. Just try to "shoo" the male into the females tank. if he runs to his hide, you can capture him inside it and move the hide and the T into the female's tank. Once he realizes she is there, he should come out a drumming and a twitching. Please post and let us know what happens.

 

[angelarachnid]

I breed most of my arboreal spiders in an old kithen cupboard with a glass door (the only reason it is one with a glass door is the builders trashed the ones with a normal door).

this gives them plenty of space to do mating "rituals".

If you have a large continer (an old viv is good) place thier tanks in the container and let them do what they do naturally.

If you dont have a large continer try them in the bath, you will have to keep watch on them but takes notes also (it will give you something to do when the spiders are not doing anything, again a good article).

I often find that a pair of pokes placed together one day, the male will be found with a sperm web the next morning.

Ray

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Thanks for the responses... though I'm still not sure. On these matters I'm leaning a bit towards full control perfectionist, eventhough obviously I don't really have control . I guess I just have to jump in and tackle it in "some" way and hope they really know what to do and that HE knows to behave himself when he's over with the lady

I might capture him and put him in with the female, meaning I'll coax him out of his hide first, then capture him in my capture box and then place that in with his lady for a little while, after wich I set him free in with her.

And one thing is sure. The cat gets locked in while they can have fun undisturbed

P.S. Don't forget, I'm a first timer on mating because this is my first and only mature pair... so I'm extra nervous =)

 

[DanHalen]

Do you have liquid bandage or superglue just in case? I'm real paranoid about that kind of thing and have to have some at all times

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Do you have liquid bandage or superglue just in case? I'm real paranoid about that kind of thing and have to have some at all times

Do you mean for me or for them? Either way... only glue.

 

[DanHalen]

Hahaha. I know what you mean

But for them really. You'll probably not need it though. If one of them did get tagged, I suppose most people would just let nature take it's course... I'm not one for that though

If all goes well (and trust me, if you simulate tapping and get a response from them both, it's a good signal - My female went mad! Drumming all over the place! A little like Nico McBrain from Iron maiden!), the feeling you get when you see that first sac is amazing!

My girl seems to be a dutiful mother so far. No abandonment, rarely ventures away from it, is still feeding, and more importantly, hasnt eaten the sac! I'm taking it one day at a time though, knowing my luck!

 

[Gesticulator]

C'mon, Cirith, take a deep breath close your eyes (well do peek aleast) and get those two together!!!!!!

 

[Brian S]

C'mon, Cirith, take a deep breath close your eyes (well do peek aleast) and get those two together!!!!!!

In other words, get tough and git r done LOLOL

 

[Cirith Ungol]

HAHA don't push me!!
I ended up moving a few of my T's into the new containers instead. I'll do the mating during the weekend. (I promise!)

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Now that's what I've been waiting for! Fresh sperm web traces! :drool:
The next days I'll give them a few visits with eachother by transfering the male in his hide or similar over to the femme.

 

[TheNatural]

Hi man,

Try to put a little bit of the females web (with substrate) into the males enclosure one day after he makes his sperm web, that worked very nicelly to me. My pulchra male started drumming just few seconds after Ive put a piece of the females bedroom close to him, he really got horny. Then I gently pushed him to her enclosure.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Yeah I'll try. As you all see, I waited a little longer than I meant to because I wanted to see if they were hungry. I didn't think the male would eat but I offered him some and all in all during the following days he ate 4 roaches! Quite a lot for not wanting anything for a long time. Le femme didn't want any.

Then I also tried the drumming and webbing prior to the feeding and none of them was very impressed by any of it. Then also did the female think it would be a good thing for her to web herself into the hide so I had to wait yet a little longer.

But now it all looks pretty good so I'm gonna go ahead tomorrow.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Another little update: (and I guess I'll be submitting a link to this thread from the breeding attempts later...)

20min ago I locked in the cat, placed both tanks on the floor, facing eachother. Then I dumped some webbed female substrate in front of him and... he didn't care.

Since he's both aggro and a wuzz he retreated into his hide at the first sine of disturbance and I didn't know what to do. So I figured if I lift his hide into the female tank he might get his vibes (pun intended) going... And.... nope. He didn't care. Instead he was in full threat pose inside the mouth of his hide and... well... stood there. For like 5min. So it seemed to me he was a bit pissed off.

Ok, I lifted the hide out again and this time cupped my capture... trapping... cup...device over the mouth of the hide and tried to intice him to come out. But... (you guessed it) he didn't care to!

Ok. With the power of hydraulics (letting some water run into his hide) he finally understood the problem and slowly walked out and onto the outside of the hide so I could convince him to walk onto the floor where I swiftly, gallantly and with utter brilliance captured him. During that time his mood had changed to whatever mood docile (or not) T's are in which are outside of their own territory.

So now while I'm writing this I'm giving him a bit of time to capture his breath and to calm down before I'm releasing him in the females tank. I'm pretty pessimistic that they will get it on, the female is in her hide again and seems to... I don't know... do what women do when they're alone, whatever that is; and well, he, seeing how not very impressed he was with everything up until now, might not care much for sex either. But let's hope the hormones click in when he's near her and that he can intice her to get on with it!

Edit:
Now he's in, sitting next to her hide, she has her legs stretched out of the hide... and they do nothing. Looks like I forgot to change the batteries prior...

 

[xgrafcorex]

well good luck! i will probably make sure my girl doesn't want a snack first today..then perhaps tonight give it a shot. make sure to take some pics or a video