Should injured mature male attempt to mate?

Mjolnor

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 8, 2010
Messages
3
Hey all, I'm relatively new to the hobby (within last year).

My first T to reach maturity is a Grammostola pulchripes, and is a mature male. Unfortunately his rear left leg came out slightly bent. He is still fully functional, in the sense that he can walk, feed, climb etc. but I am curious as to whether he would be able to mate. As far as I understand the male uses its back legs for stability while using most of its other legs to keep the female at bay.

If the general consensus is to not attempt for him to mate, what should I do with him? Just allow him to live out the rest of his days? A somewhat gruesome question, but will he die attempting a post-ultimate molt or in some other fashion? Is there a point where I should perhaps euthanize to prevent this from happening?

Thanks for any answers you all may provide.
 

grayzone

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 17, 2011
Messages
2,461
interesting .... back legs are used for stability but if i were you id go for it... id just keep an eye on the process... hes on borrowed time anyway and the process COULD BE FAIRLY QUICK. im no breeder, and this is just MY opinion
 

JamieC

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 1, 2010
Messages
37
I had a mature male Grammostola rosea RCF that lost a rear leg during a moult. It regenerated the leg in his final moult when he matured. Like you I was a bit concerned as the leg was not fully regenerated. I paired him up with a female anyway and he was eaten. :(

Whether or not the bad leg played a big part in his death I don't know. But I'm guessing it must have hindered him slightly.

As already mentioned his days are numbered anyway, so I would go for it.

Jamie :)
 

Raven9464

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Messages
66
I have a MM G rosea that had an injured back leg. I bred him twice to my female and he didnt have any problems. I just made sure I was right there to help him out if he needed it.
 

madamoisele

Arachnosquire
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
141
I assure you, he'd much rather go out trying to fulfill his mission in life than to not have tried.

I had the privilege of borrowing lancej's MM Chaco for a bit - he was such a sweetheart, what a pity for his short life cycle.

Is it just me, or do the male spiders tend towards docility more than the females? (not to derail, more of a musing comment here).

Anyway - if it were me, I'd breed him, and if he lived, pass him on to give him the greatest opportunity to spread his genetic code.
 
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