Well, my retarded male finally started drumming tonight. I still can't see much in the way of sperm packets on his pedipalps, but maybe they are microscopic... (The ones on my male regalis last year were *huge*).
I coaxed him into the female's side of the enclosure, but he was so freaked-out he just sat hunkered down in the corner for a while. He eventually drummed for about a minute. The female did not respond (she was probably also freaked-out from me moving their enclosures into the bathtub for the transfer), so he gave up. They are still crouched down in their respective corners, not really taking an interest in anything (or each other) yet. _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
He finally started drumming again and looking for her. She lunged at him a few times, like she either wanted to drive him away or eat him. He was pretty persistent. But she was not drumming back at him or encouraging him in any way. So I herded him back into his own enclosure.
Hopefully, her attitude will improve. I'll watch and see if she shows any more interest in him, and maybe try again later this weekend.
BTW: I'm doing this introduction in a darkened room -- they seem too shy in bright light. _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
They were both out on the glass, close to each other but in their adjacent enclosures, so I thought I'd give it another try. I put the tank in the bathtub and coaxed him into her enclosure, and he started drumming immediately. She didn't drum, but was much more interested in him this time. She kept looking for him and reaching out to touch him very gently with her front legs, and didn't lunge at him like last time. After about 30 or 40 minutes of really tender courtship I *think* he may have succeeded. They came together reaching their front legs out very gently toward each other, and then there was a quick little scuffle and a thump and he backed off in a hurry.
Unfortunately, it was nearly pitch dark in the room, and they were behind her hide log at the time, so I couldn't see a darned thing, but it sounded promising.
She is now hunkered down in her hide log (where I can't get a good look at her), so I think that's a good sign, too! I put the male back into his own enclosure.
Keep your fingers crossed!!!
Francisco: I'll keep an eye on him to see if he recharges his pedipalps ('though honestly, I couldn't see much on them before). But we should try him out on your females soon. Let me know when you would like to give it a try. (Feed your girls really well first!) _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
Last edited by Celeste on Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:59 am; edited 1 time in total
Well, by the time he is ready for your girls, he will really know what he is doing! He was so much more confident this second time. :-) _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
Hmmm... that's going to be difficult. There is no place in this house that is less than about 78F currently... And the metallicas are in the reptile room which is about 10 degrees warmer than that, even, during the day. I can get them into the low 70's in my son's room at night, but they'd still be upper 70's during the day.
In their natural environment, it would be Monsoon Season right now, so [I think] they'd be steamy hot and wet... maybe a tad cooler because of their elevation? After the Monsoon Season, the cool season starts in late summer/early fall as you indicated.
So I'll try moving her into my son's room in ~mid-August for a month or so...
She has not emerged from her hide log since they [possibly] mated on Monday night, so I think it may have been a success. She is usually out and about more. The male disappeared for a couple of days as well, and only just re-emerged last night, so he may have re-charged his pedipalps. He was out searching last night, and I don't think it was for *food*...! _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
Congratulations, Francisco (I think...?)! Good luck with them!
I'm kind of relieved, because I was worried about having to extract my nervous male from his secure little home and transport him to your house -- they are so timid!
This'll be interesting: we might get a lot more data on the best conditions for the females to produce a sac and produce babies.
Please keep us posted on the conditions you use, etc.
BTW: my male P. regalis is *still* alive and kicking! He molted out to adult in March 2008, and they mated in late March 2008, and he's still with us. He's not drumming or anything, and doesn't have any obvious sperm packets on his pedipalps, so I'm assuming he's not fertile (but I could be wrong...) I haven't re-introduced him to the female because I was giving her a break and letting her put on some weight. But I might try re-introducing them at some point if he stays out and active like he has been... The female regalis is looking good, and molted again a couple of months ago. _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
I tried introducing them again last night, per Francisco's recommendation. The male drummed a little bit, but it seemed almost as if it was more of a "please don't eat me" kind of drumming, rather than a "Hey, Baby!" kind of drumming... (It was weaker and less enthusiastic than his drumming last time I introduced them). The female didn't respond at all, and stayed hunkered down next to her hide log, trying to look inconspicuous. The male drummed halfheartedly for a couple of minutes, and then found the entrance to the female's hide log and went inside it and hid. End of story. No nookie.
I removed the male and put him back in his own home-sweet-home again. (I don't want to risk cohabiting them).
But I'm thinkin' they did the deed last time anyway. (At least, I *hope* so!) _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
I hope you guys produce about 400 metallica slings by Christmas. Oh yeah, I'll be down for a few. _________________ "I hold your opinion above all others, tribe elder." - Neshan W. Sarkisian
I have CDO. It's like OCD, but the letters are in alphabetical order, like they should be.
No noticeable changes yet. I was going to try to introduce them again this past weekend but didn't have time. Will try introductions again soon just to see if there is any further interest.
According to 'Cisco, I should start cooling the female soon if they *did* mate... _________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
Answer: They both molted about a month ago and are around 4". I think they might be ready to go next molt or, at the most, the molt after that. Tunedbeat used a male that was over a year old and he got a sack, so I think we have plenty of time! _________________ Kyle Dickerson
www.kyledickerson.com
My Photo Thread
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=133202
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