Usambara Breeding Questions

[galeogirl]

After months of my female Usambara mating with the loaner male repeatedly, I looked into her enclosure this morning and she just shed. Does this mean there's no chance of an eggsac now?

She also destroyed her burrow, webbed all over, and started to dig a new home. The male is hanging out in a small corner at the top of the cage and won't budge.

Any ideas what all this might mean?

 

[shmidti]

That means there will be no eggsac.

 

[MrT]

galeogirl,
Thats to bad. She shed his sperm with her skin. The upside is now you can start over with them, if he still has the energy to keep breeding. You might want to remove him while she recovers from the molt. And so he can build a new sperm web too reload.

Ernie

 

[galeogirl]

Damn! Let's hope the little guy still has some life left in him.

 

[Immortal_sin]

that's exactly what happened the first time I bred Usambaras. She molted, I'm surprised he didn't eat her. I then removed him to my 2nd female's home, where he lived happily till she ate him LOL
Molting does get rid of the sperm she may have stored...
Hope he is still ready and willing in a month or two.

 

[conipto]

Originally posted by MrT
galeogirl,
Thats to bad. She shed his sperm with her skin. The upside is now you can start over with them, if he still has the energy to keep breeding. You might want to remove him while she recovers from the molt. And so he can build a new sperm web too reload.

Ernie

HEy, I have absolutely zero experience with breeding, but I was told you should wait 2-3 months before attempting to breed a freshly molted female. is this true?

Bill

 

[MrT]

Originally posted by conipto
HEy, I have absolutely zero experience with breeding, but I was told you should wait 2-3 months before attempting to breed a freshly molted female. is this true?

Bill

You know it might be, but why?It seems that if she is receptive, and they breed, she would have 3 months before she would produce a eggsac anyway, right. That would be enough time to fatten her up.
I'm trying to breed my rosea that molted about 3 weeks ago. If I don't do it now my male wont be any good in 3 months. I hope I'm not blowing it.
Maybe Skip, Martin, Scott, Swifty, Art, Steve, or someone will chime in on this.

Ernie

 

[conipto]

Originally posted by MrT

Maybe Skip, Martin, Scott, Swifty, Art, Steve, or someone will chime in on this.

Ernie

Actually, Art was the source, in that case.

Bill

 

[rknralf]

I believe the 2 - 3 month period is to allow her body to adjust to the new size and give her time to be fully nourished. By that time, she will have eaten enough that she should be able to survive a 2 - 3 month fast during the incubation period.
With my Usambara, she went a full 7 weeks before she even left the web for water. She didn't eat until 9 weeks.
Also, just to add, she laid her eggs 3 weeks after breeding.
Hope this helps. If you want to discuss Usambara breeding, you can email me and I'll be happy to share my experiences. I'm not an expert, but I have gone through it.
Its been an amazing adventure, and very rewarding!

 

[Brian and Terri]

Usambara

Moulting takes a lot of energy. Waiting 2-3 months is normal waiting period before trying to breed again. I'm surprised she didn't eat him! Hopefully your male will still be viable by the time you're ready to try again. Might be a good idea to loan him out in the meantime to someone with a mature female. You would still have 2-3 months to find another male, maybe someone will be willing to do a split with you.