Breeding G pulchra

[Robert Farmer]

Hi all, I reckon my male G pulchra is nearing his penultimate moult and as the matching female is gigantic and ready I'm going to be getting into the world of Brazilian Black Breeding!

Thing is I've heard they're not the easiest T in the world to succesfully mate so any tips or experience good or bad would be handy to hear.

I've had the female cooling for some time now and the male nice and warm, as soon as he pops she'll be getting fed up good and proper.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks,

Robert.

[James Box]

good luck!!! should be about 800 spiderlings, if you're successful!
that can be quite the lucrative business venture.

[Robert Farmer]

good luck!!! should be about 800 spiderlings, if you're successful!
that can be quite the lucrative business venture.

Here's hoping, esp if nice people such as yourself would care for a few? Then again no point counting nymphs before they've hatched... or even fertilized at this rate!

[SylviRigden]

Have a read of this thread. Being a Pulchra fan I have kept it ear-marked. It may be useful -

http://atshq.org/forum/archive/index.php?t-274.html

[James Box]

well Robert, i have an immature male (if it was sexed correctly) and my friend has an immature female...hoping to time his maturing with hers (by feeding him slowly and her quickly), and try some breeding as well in a few years!

[Louise~Nichols]

Hi Robert,
I have to join the discussion here, lol, my female Pulchra has recently laid a respectable sized eggsac; she is currently in a nice dark box on the coolish side temperature-wise, and being left alone to nurse it!

Mating was no problem, and the male had kept making successive sperm webs, but Miranda refused any further attemtps. She continued to feed well and then became noticeably *wide* looking after several weeks, and a lot more jumpy when I was clearing up food debris.

A week before the laying, she started kicking substrate everywhere, before finally making quite a tidy bowl just in front of her flowerpot hide. After this she *silkbombed* the area...and finally, I checked on her one morning to find her clutching onto an eggsac! So...immensely proud mother hen here...but now also very paranoid that something may go wrong! LOL

Good luck Robert, I'll look forward to synchronised *stress-outs* when you have an eggsac too.

[Robert Farmer]

Did you use a cooling period for the female at all?

Good luck with the sac, looking forward to having one all to myself!

Also, how long did you leave the male with her?

That's another great thing about G pulchra, the male once reached maturity usually lives for a lot longer than usual (2 years not being uncommon)... Now that's bang for buck!!!

[SylviRigden]

Lucky you with that sac, good luck too. I sent my MM pulchra on breeding loan so I am crossing my fingers and toes for a little black sling or two. My male is back home now and hasn't made any sperm webs for some time now. I don't know how long they are fertile for.

[Robert Farmer]

Lucky you with that sac, good luck too. I sent my MM pulchra on breeding loan so I am crossing my fingers and toes for a little black sling or two. My male is back home now and hasn't made any sperm webs for some time now. I don't know how long they are fertile for.

Sylvi, are you related to a Julie Rigden?

[SylviRigden]

Yup, she is my daughter - a lot younger and prettier than me lol

[Robert Farmer]

thats cool, she's currently got my p pederseni male to breed with! Small world eh? Tell her I said hi LOL

[SylviRigden]

Hi , he is fine, although looking his age now he is still eating and lively. She put them together for 2 weeks but didn't see them mate. He hasn't made any sperm webs with us at all. They have been seperate now for about 2 months and we are waiting to see what happens. She is dubious about putting them together again in case he gets munched. So fingers crossed.

[SylviRigden]

Robert I could post you up my MM in case your male doesn't molt in time. He matured 28th Aug and went on breeding loan, he was returned and made another web but hasn't made one since. I don't know if anyone out there knows if he is still of use for breeding. He is in good condition and is still eating.

[Louise~Nichols]

Did you use a cooling period for the female at all?

Good luck with the sac, looking forward to having one all to myself!

Also, how long did you leave the male with her?

That's another great thing about G pulchra, the male once reached maturity usually lives for a lot longer than usual (2 years not being uncommon)... Now that's bang for buck!!!

Hi again Robert,
Yes, the female did live at a cooler temp pre-mating, and I continued to keep her cool-ish afterwards too.
Macros was introduced to her late one night, they had lived with their tubs side by side for a few days previous to the introduction, and were tapping/drumming at each other. I put both tubs into my bath, lids off, and left the hall light on (low watt, dim bulb) to just provide enough of a glow for me to observe with minimal disturbance.
There were a couple of *drums* to each other, and then Macros went straight for the lift...Miranda was very steady and accepted him making a good few insertions alternating between palps. When he considered himself finished, he tried to untangle from her, but she marched him into a corner quite neatly...at this point I put my tongs between them, and she backed away allowing Macros to clamber out into the bath. From there I picked him up and put him back into his own home. Total time together...5 minutes!
I let her feed well on a good variety of prey, her appetite stayed keen right up til she laid...and I'm glad she did feed well...she looks quite a skinny scarecrow now despite eating well!

And thanks...I'm over the moon with this eggsac...but I am nervously counting the days & weeks til I can safely pull it! I've got a second female mated too...and there is to be another female Pulchra joining my gang shortly...so guess who's gonna be busy?!

Slyvi...I've no idea how long the boys stay fertile for...but Macros made a second sperm web 10 days after his first mating, then made yet another web 2 weeks after his last mating....he's been drumming at the G.Aureostriata female whose tub is currently next to his in my kitchen! Randy old so-and-so!!

[Colin D Wilson]

Staying within the Grammostola genus, i have a rosea that has just made his 6th sperm web since maturing early Feb 2007. he has been mated after each.