Difficult to Breed... what does that mean? (2024)

morg59jeep said:

See Also

5 reasons why your mice aren't breedingBreeding Pandas Is Incredibly Hard

So instead of saying that a species is difficult to breed and leave it general, why not say that the specific reasons? Someone told me once that GBB are difficult to breed. What one of these things apply to that species?

Click to expand...

I've thought about this same thing before too. There are definitely distinct aspects of the breeding process, so why is it so often boiled down to "difficult to breed" rather than "simple to breed, difficult to get a viable sac" or something similar. My guess is that it's difficult to come to conclusions about where the direct failure generally occurs, especially when most people only breed a few females at the most. Instead, a species has a few failures from many different hobbyists, and gets branded with a "difficult to breed" tag without any specifics. I would like to see more specifics when it comes to breeding reports in general. Posts that simply record the dates of each stage are helpful, but aren't nearly as helpful as a detailed description describing every environmental aspect, the behaviors, and as well as the timing.

jt39565 said:

Is this a serious thread? Where's Ashton Kutcher I think AB is getting punked!

Click to expand...

What about this makes you think it's not a serious question?

What part of difficult is hard to understand?

dif·fi·cult/ˈdifiˌkəlt/Adjective: 1.Needing much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or understand.
2.Characterized by or causing hardships or problems.

jt39565 said:

What part of difficult is hard to understand?

dif·fi·cult/ˈdifiˌkəlt/Adjective: 1.Needing much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or understand.
2.Characterized by or causing hardships or problems.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the definition. Now read it again. The OP would like to understand the underlying causes for WHY something requires effort or skill to accomplish or is characterized by hardships or problems. I don't think you comprehend the original post, the subsequent responses, or the meaning of the word you have looked up and shared with us.

Shrike said:

Thanks for the definition. Now read it again. The OP would like to understand the underlying causes for WHY something requires effort or skill to accomplish or is characterized by hardships or problems. I don't think you comprehend the original post, the subsequent responses, or the meaning of the word you have looked up and shared with us.

Click to expand...

The title of the OP is asking what it means - I provided that answer. Anything more specific would require the OP to be more specific about the BREED of T was being referenced. If its just T's in general then by definition the word difficult is as specific as it needs to be.

jt39565 said:

The title of the OP is asking what it means - I provided that answer. Anything more specific would require the OP to be more specific about the BREED of T was being referenced. If its just T's in general then by definition the word difficult is as specific as it needs to be.

Click to expand...

I think it's a perfectly worthwhile question, and is merits discussion. Many people do simply say X species is "difficult to breed" while providing no specifics. While it is useful having a species specific discussion, it's also useful to discuss the different aspects of tarantula breeding that may be difficult. For example. Theraphosa species are apparently easy to breed, but extremely difficult to get a sac from. Species Y might eat their sacs, species Z is aggressive towards males. A compendium of information regarding the difficult aspects of tarantula breeding and what species need special care is ENTIRELY worth discussion. If you don't agree, then simply do not post next time.

jayefbe said:

I think it's a perfectly worthwhile question, and is merits discussion. Many people do simply say X species is "difficult to breed" while providing no specifics. While it is useful having a species specific discussion, it's also useful to discuss the different aspects of tarantula breeding that may be difficult. For example. Theraphosa species are apparently easy to breed, but extremely difficult to get a sac from. Species Y might eat their sacs, species Z is aggressive towards males. A compendium of information regarding the difficult aspects of tarantula breeding and what species need special care is ENTIRELY worth discussion. If you don't agree, then simply do not post next time.

Click to expand...

So your saying that the "proper" reply to the original post would be list ALL the difficult to breed T's and give ALL the reasons that make them difficult to breed?

jt39565 said:

The title of the OP is asking what it means - I provided that answer. Anything more specific would require the OP to be more specific about the BREED of T was being referenced. If its just T's in general then by definition the word difficult is as specific as it needs to be.

Click to expand...

Well since we're all in the mood of correcting definitions...... Species, not breeds.

jt39565 said:

So your saying that the "proper" reply to the original post would be list ALL the difficult to breed T's and give ALL the reasons that make them difficult to breed?

Click to expand...

No, the proper reply would be to not be a jerk.

Really, of ALL the threads to pick on, you pick one that actually addresses something interesting and potentially informative. It's amazing.

Chris_Skeleton said:

Well since we're all in the mood of correcting definitions...... Species, not breeds.

Click to expand...

This is my last post on the subject - The terminology in this instance can be be used interchangeably. Thank you.

jt39565 said:

This is my last post on the subject - The terminology in this instance can be be used interchangeably. Thank you.

Click to expand...

Actually it can't. A breed refers to a specific group that breeds true for a specific or set of traits. It is not simply another term for 'species' and should never be used interchangeably.

jayefbe said:

Actually it can't. A breed refers to a specific group that breeds true for a specific or set of traits. It is not simply another term for 'species' and should never be used interchangeably.

Click to expand...

If you're having trouble remembering this, think about the many breeds of dog we have which are all members of one species of animal.

Theist 17 said:

If you're having trouble remembering this, think about the many breeds of dog we have which are all members of one species of animal.

Click to expand...

This is not a good analogy. Those "breeds" of tarantula you've been referring to in this thread are distinct species. All you need to do is look at the scientific name which is denoted by genus and species.

Brachypelma smithi
Brachypelma albopilosum

The two species I referred to are smithi and albopilosum. They are in the same genus but are different species. The term breed has no relevance at all.

For the love of god people.

To the OP:
Some species are harder to breed; Mainly harder to pair up succesfully, harder to hatch an eggsack from succesfully, harder to breed, in general.
Example: Theraphosa apophysis. For some reason is harder to get them to pair up succesfully in captivity, and even when you get the female to lay, the eggs tend to be bad.