Mating Tarantulas
Male
Since the moment of sexual maturation of the male he must be provided with extra personal care. Kept in conditions with higher humidity than usual allows to prevent the T's semen from drying up. Regular nutritious meal will provide towards the males good state of health and longevity.
Remember that male saves ability to fertization of female, as a rule, during 6 months after last molt (ultimate molt)!
Female also must be well fed to supply necessary extra resources of fat and protein. Constant presence of food objects in terrarium with the females at this period is somewhat advisable.
One of the the main questions, appearing directly when mating the tarantulas, is concluded in whether when the female is ready to be mated, if she is then also maturing at this stage?
For abilities to fertization of male a situation is clear – after he has entwine his sperm-web and has filled his pedipalps with semen (this may usually take 2-3 weeks after his ultimate molt) the male is ready for copulation.
Determining the maturity of females are usually only approximately possible via according to the female's size and age (this is why keeping molting diaries are recommended and important).
It is interesting that successful mating not always provides unconditional fertization and, as result, the producing of an eggsac. Often even after noted successful copulation the eggsac are not laid, the female in certain time molts (sperm, which stored in females spermathecae, removes from female organizm together with exuvium). Once in a while (particularly noted for Theraphosa blondi) eggs are laid not fertile. Also in captivity knowned facts that females lays non-fertile eggsacs Poecilotheria regalis, Psalmopoeus cambridgei even without preliminary mating. And females shown its maternal behaviour: took care of cocoon and protect its. Where are no exact answer to this facts. Possible only to expect, that the reason probably inheres with connection of seasonal breeding in nature and connected with sharp change of the cycle their annual activity and haved a temperature-humidity mode in places their live.
Before you introduce the male to the female, prepare a piece of thick paperboard square-wave form or long flattened stick or long paintbrush, for use its as a panel for protection of the male in the event of the female attacking the male during or after mating.
Males, as a rule, are more active and prone to copulate in the evening. Positive stimulus for mating will be with general increasing of temperature and humidity in terrarium, where the introducing will occur. To help prevent the female attacking the male during mating, feed the female more than usual a few days before the attempted mating.
There are several efficient strategies in existince iwth regards to introducing tarantulas to one another for mating:
1. The female is entering into the prepared terrarium with the male on the opposite side of the terrarium. Move her over to the male's cage by means of a small container (human smell can scare away the male). As a rule, in a little while the male will begin to show interest in the female by gently tapping or almost 'hopping' softly on the ground. He will move his body close to the ground while doing this. If there appears to be no interest at this stage, it is possible to stimulate the process by stroking the pedipalps and front legs of both sexes alternatively with a long soft stick or brush. If this doesn`t work either, try nudging the female closer to the male. You can also tap on the container gently mimicking their tappping behaviour in nature. At the moment of mating be ready to rescue the male to escape from the female's aggresion if presented, and herewith be careful not to damage tarantulas or get bitten in the process.
2. Most breeders are of meaning that it is a more effective method to introduce the male into the female's terrarium. (Apparently the scent and/or hormones of her webbing appeals to his sense as this is a more natural way as done in nature. Simply place him in the opposite side of the terrarium.
If for some reason the mating did not occur, try repeating the procedure several times the next few days.
Since when mating an initiative reveals mainly by male, then for the aim of reduction of its enxiety and making the optimum conditions expedient to introduce a female to male, rather then on the contrary. But for some species (Hysterocrates spp., Haplopelma spp. and others) this does not give some positive result.
Some amateurs to exclude the possible stress beside male, is used the shark-cage method: male placed in females terrarium in small container. Male inheres in such cage within several days, after that the door on its container is openned and male is given possibility to pass on territory of female.
In the event of successful mating, through certain period of time (from 1 to 6, even 9 months, some known to construct eggsac within more then year from mating) a female lay eggs and plaits them in cocoon. Preceding this period is accompanied, as a rule, with active digging of the substrate and webbing the terrarium. Right in shelter (or burrow) or in the corner of terrarium female braids its "nest", in which it will incubates cocoon. If You leave the cocoon and care about him with female, that support in its terrarium the required conditions (level of temperature and humidity). But if you are going to incubate the cocoon artificially, is necessary to take it from the female. In the book S. and М. Schultz reccomend to use for this the spoon. Please be careful not to damage the eggsac or the female.
There are several factors which are affects the eggsac construction. Several species, which comes from countries with well denominated seasonal change of climate (Argentina, Chile и др.), for instance, Grammostola rosea (is necessary to say - one of the not simple for breeding species), after mating is necessary to give at least small (2-3 weeks) period with lowered temperature and humidity. However, the temperature-humidity changes must not have been sharp, but their reduction and the following ascent necessary to realize gradually, within a few days.
Interesting, what such a sharp changes of conditions can be effective enough for other tarantula species, such as tropical species for instance, Brachypelma vagans and Theraphosa blondi .
However at present I can`t give any advice for use of this strategy of stimulation of female eggsac constraction since herewith appears much more questions, than known answers.