Breeding question A Geniculata

TLover007 · Jun 30, 2014

Okay so this is my first attempt (or it will be in the future) of mating Ts... i have a confirmed Juvie Male and a confirmed Sub Adult Female...

My question is, when do I know my female is ready? She is about 5 inches now and 3 and a half years old. At what size or age would you guess she is ready?

If you have any information / tips on breeding these, it will be very much appreciated

Poec54 · Jun 30, 2014

I have a big genic female. At 7" she had zero interest in the MM I put in with her. She shed over 6 months later, grew to 8" and when I put the male in (same male) she was VERY receptive, tapping her front legs rapidly. After that she was very passive as he got her into position. As soon as the male inserted his palps, she tightly wrapped her legs around him and immediately sunk her fangs in his carapace. It was a bear hug; I couldn't pry her off. He died almost instantly, never had a chance.

Based on that, I wouldn't count on her mating until she's 8". So I'd feed her heavy and keep her warmer, and do the opposite with the male so he doesn't mature too soon.

fuzzyavics72 · Jun 30, 2014

Depends on the female, I've had very small females do really well. Example my diversipe female was only 3.5 inches. I got 150 babies from her first sac, was no deaths or ewls stuck together. She did an outstanding job. The only problem is she really hated me and just me from that point on.

I would let your female molt and give her two-three months before you attempt to breed her. I like smaller females because males have a better chance of surviving when breeding.

TLover007 · Jun 30, 2014

Poec54 said:
I have a big genic female. At 7" she had zero interest in the MM I put in with her. She shed over 6 months later, grew to 8" and when I put the male in (same male) she was VERY receptive, tapping her front legs rapidly. After that she was very passive as he got her into position. As soon as the male inserted his palps, she tightly wrapped her legs around him and immediately sunk her fangs in his carapace. It was a bear hug; I couldn't pry her off. He died almost instantly, never had a chance.

Based on that, I wouldn't count on her mating until she's 8". So I'd feed her heavy and keep her warmer, and do the opposite with the male so he doesn't mature too soon.

fuzzyavics72 said:
Depends on the female, I've had very small females do really well. Example my diversipe female was only 3.5 inches. I got 150 babies from her first sac, was no deaths or ewls stuck together. She did an outstanding job. The only problem is she really hated me and just me from that point on.

I would let your female molt and give her two-three months before you attempt to breed her. I like smaller females because males have a better chance of surviving when breeding.

Thanks guys thats very helpfull... I saw a vid of Jon3800 (mythbusters A Geniculata and A Brocklehursti) he said the females usually mature betwee 3 - 4 years this is obviously different with every female as you guys just said and I agree with that... so I will wait... but I have a feeling that when my male matures she will be ready as he is only about 2.5inches now...

How big was your Male with that 8inch monster poec??

Poec54 · Jun 30, 2014

TLover007 said:
How big was your Male with that 8inch monster Poec??

He was a big boy, leggy, but over 7", close to the female's legspan, but she's much more robust, and stronger.

---------- Post added 06-30-2014 at 01:15 PM ----------

fuzzyavics72 said:
Depends on the female, I've had very small females do really well. Example my diversipe female was only 3.5 inches.

That's apples and oranges when talking about a giant tropical terrestrial.

TLover007 · Jun 30, 2014

Wow sounds like a big boy yet he got killed instantly. Was that the only time you mated them? I ask because I want to know are most of the females that aggresive towards the male?

Poec54 · Jun 30, 2014

TLover007 said:
Wow sounds like a big boy yet he got killed instantly. Was that the only time you mated them? I ask because I want to know are most of the females that aggresive towards the male?

When I paired them up when she was 7", she wasn't interested at all. The male tried to get her in the mood, to no avail. Did that on several occasions. After the molt, she was a whole new spider, obviously hit sexual maturity. She killed him on the first post-molt pairing. Even though his DLS was similar to hers, she weighed several times as much, and was much more muscular. At first I thought he was being a little too timid approaching such a receptive female. And then she became passive, and seemed completely harmless...until the insertion. In a split second she nailed him. After that I could see why he was cautious. Poor guy. That's my one and only geniculata breeding story.

fuzzyavics72 · Jun 30, 2014

Of course Poec54, she was only two years old and barely mature. The point I was trying to get a cross is that young females can be bred too, Just depends on the individual.

TLover007 · Jul 1, 2014

Poec54 said:
When I paired them up when she was 7", she wasn't interested at all. The male tried to get her in the mood, to no avail. Did that on several occasions. After the molt, she was a whole new spider, obviously hit sexual maturity. She killed him on the first post-molt pairing. Even though his DLS was similar to hers, she weighed several times as much, and was much more muscular. At first I thought he was being a little too timid approaching such a receptive female. And then she became passive, and seemed completely harmless...until the insertion. In a split second she nailed him. After that I could see why he was cautious. Poor guy. That's my one and only geniculata breeding story.

And what a nice story it was

Bugmom · Jul 3, 2014

Poec54 said:
When I paired them up when she was 7", she wasn't interested at all. The male tried to get her in the mood, to no avail. Did that on several occasions. After the molt, she was a whole new spider, obviously hit sexual maturity. She killed him on the first post-molt pairing. Even though his DLS was similar to hers, she weighed several times as much, and was much more muscular. At first I thought he was being a little too timid approaching such a receptive female. And then she became passive, and seemed completely harmless...until the insertion. In a split second she nailed him. After that I could see why he was cautious. Poor guy. That's my one and only geniculata breeding story.

This is exactly how I expect my genic mating attempt to go. I just hope he gets to deposit before he checks out. I have zero hope that he will make it out alive. Not that it'll stop me from trying. He'll die eventually anyway. Now just MOLT ALREADY. One more molt and he should be mature.

TLover007 · Jul 4, 2014

Bugmom said:
This is exactly how I expect my genic mating attempt to go. I just hope he gets to deposit before he checks out. I have zero hope that he will make it out alive. Not that it'll stop me from trying. He'll die eventually anyway. Now just MOLT ALREADY. One more molt and he should be mature.

Keep us updated!! Hoe big is your female now and when last did she molt?

Poec54 · Jul 4, 2014

Bugmom said:
This is exactly how I expect my genic mating attempt to go. I just hope he gets to deposit before he checks out. I have zero hope that he will make it out alive. Not that it'll stop me from trying.

After what happened to my male, I'm not betting that future male genics will be able to mate with more than one female, but who knows? With most species the males usually survive mating, and an occasional cranky/hungry female will kill one. Maybe my girl was one of them, and not representative of them as a species. (I'm trying to be positive here).

Bugmom · Jul 4, 2014

TLover007 said:
Keep us updated!! Hoe big is your female now and when last did she molt?

Maybe a year. I want her to molt again before I breed her. She's big, 8" or so.

Poec54 said:
After what happened to my male, I'm not betting that future male genics will be able to mate with more than one female, but who knows? With most species the males usually survive mating, and an occasional cranky/hungry female will kill one. Maybe my girl was one of them, and not representative of them as a species. (I'm trying to be positive here).

This is my most defensive tarantula. She's to date the only one who has ever tried to nail me. She will charge at me/the tongs/anything even if it's on the other side of her enclosure.

Poec54 · Jul 4, 2014

Bugmom said:
This is my most defensive tarantula. She's to date the only one who has ever tried to nail me. She will charge at me/the tongs/anything even if it's on the other side of her enclosure.

Ah yes, I do like a spirited spider.

Nada · Jul 4, 2014

I paired my male with a 6.5" female with very good results.
my male was actually a bit larger than the female. As it stands now I have hundreds of 1st instars that refuse to molt lol

TLover007 · Jul 4, 2014

Bugmom said:
Maybe a year. I want her to molt again before I breed her. She's big, 8" or so.

This is my most defensive tarantula. She's to date the only one who has ever tried to nail me. She will charge at me/the tongs/anything even if it's on the other side of her enclosure.

Can we see a picture of her?? But dont get your arm torn off trying to take the pic!!

Poec54 said:
Ah yes, I do like a spirited spider.

+1 but its all fun and games untill somebody looses an eye haha

Nada said:
I paired my male with a 6.5" female with very good results.
my male was actually a bit larger than the female. As it stands now I have hundreds of 1st instars that refuse to molt lol

Wow that is very interesting, do you know what her age was more or less?

Nada · Jul 4, 2014

TLover007 said:
Can we see a picture of her?? But dont get your arm torn off trying to take the pic!!

+1 but its all fun and games untill somebody looses an eye haha

Wow that is very interesting, do you know what her age was more or less?

I could tell you her age, but age has absolutely nothing to do with anything regarding maturity. There are so many variables involved in a tarantulas growth that all 1,2,3,4,5, etc year old genics are not created equally. Check to see if the the spremetheca is fully developed in the next exuvium.

TLover007 · Jul 4, 2014

Nada said:
I could tell you her age, but age has absolutely nothing to do with anything regarding maturity. There are so many variables involved in a tarantulas growth that all 1,2,3,4,5, etc year old genics are not created equally. Check to see if the the spremetheca is fully developed in the next exuvium.

No she's way to young I think... like I said I am waiting for my male to mature and by that time she will easily be mature...

Breeding question A Geniculata

TLover007

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fuzzyavics72

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Poec54

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TLover007

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Poec54

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fuzzyavics72

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TLover007

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Bugmom

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Poec54

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Bugmom

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Nada

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Nada

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