Takmar have a strong tendency toward social polyandry - the pairing of one female with multiple males for the purposes of socially recognized relationships. The number of males in a female's entourage generally correlates with social status, often beyond what is practical whether for reproductive needs, sexual satisfaction, or household maintenance; this is usually due to social factors such as a desire for pliant servants or childcarers, or a display of wealth and status, or even to artificially restrict the supply of males (at least of a certain quality) available to other females. Although the ratio of males to females in the breeding population hovers around two-to-one, the most stratified societies often nonetheless have shortages of males not traveling in bands, as well as classes of female who are forbidden to marry or bear children.

A low-status female, even when permitted a male, often only has one, defaulting to monogamy. In some cases, multiple females may “share” one or more males between them; the reason for doing so may be economic (neither female might be able to support a male on her own) or simply due to a shortage of males, but the practice is almost always encountered when the females in question have a deep, familial-style bond, and most often when they are closely related and of the same age (sisters or first cousins). While the unbalanced gender ratio and sex roles of takmar makes maintaining most of these alternative mating systems difficult on a large scale (except for polygynandry), scattered examples of each do exist, though polyandry generally remains the norm at the highest status levels.

Despite the above description, it is worth noting that in terms of purely sexual behavior, extra-pair copulation and promiscuity is not uncommon in both sexes. In most cultures, it is neither socially expected for married or otherwise bonded females to practice sexual fidelity, nor is it particularly notable should they fail to do so. The same is not true of married or bonded males, but despite prejudices and even laws against a husband cheating on one's wife, it happens more often than society is comfortable with, though the existence of male bands leaves males an option for a well-supported and marriage-free life from the beginning.

Takmar mate after the fashion of most Earthly quadrupedal mammals, particularly lions, with the male mounting the female from behind. Mating is not restricted to a particular time or season, and is generally a voluntary choice, influenced as much by personal, social, or environmental factors as much as a drive to produce offspring.

A peculiarity of takma reproduction is that mating, while necessary for conception, does not necessarily result in it, and not necessarily right away if it does. A mated female may fertilize her eggs immediately, but may also store sperm for up to four turns for future usage. This adaptation dates to the species' evolutionary history in the Brightness, where it served as an insurance measure against harsh or unpredictable conditions. A female may therefore mate with multiple males over an extended period of time and produce a clutch of eggs only from one of them - or, indeed, more than one.

The above process is strongly influenced, but not controlled, by the conscious decision of the female; that is to say that a female may make a purposeful effort to conceive or not at a particular time and with a particular male's sperm, but that success is not guaranteed and may depend on other factors. A female in a state of malnourishment, or under significant physiological stress, or in an environment she perceives as hostile or inimical is generally less likely to conceive even if an effort is made, while an effort not to conceive is likely to be more effective; the opposite is true if the female is well-fed, healthy, relaxed, or in a safe and fruitful environment.

Once the female, whether intending to or not, releases sperm to fertilize her eggs and conception occurs, the process is largely beyond her control; the development of her offspring will proceed until finished or interrupted.

The precise number of eggs fertilized and laid is beyond the female's direct control, and is affected both by the female's own personal biochemistry and by factors similar to those governing the chances of conception (fewer eggs if the female is stressed, underfed, in harsh environments, etc). The vast majority of natural reproductive events result in between one and three eggs, which spend an average of a turn and two vigils after conception developing within the female's body (even in healthy gestation, this may vary by several vigils in either direction). The eggs are approximately round (only slightly oblate) and are between 24 and 26 cm in diameter and 7.5 and 9.5 kg in mass, with a slightly yellowish shell.

The eggs will hatch after approximately two and two-sixths turns of incubation. During this period they must be kept in an environment that is warm without being hot (preferably 25 to 30 degrees Celsius) and not too dry (at least 50% relative humidity). Prehistoric and technologically primitive takmar have been known to bury their eggs in suitable types of ground; those with homes typically have a well-insulated room constructed with this purpose in mind, though - particularly for those families with limited space or resources - this room may also serve another purpose, usually sleeping. Within the room will be a nest in the form of a deep bowl and lined with soft material. The eggs will be covered over with a layer both for insulation and heat - this is often decaying vegetation in poor homes, but blankets will be used instead or in addition, if available. Sometimes a home can be designed to deliver the necessary conditions through other means - fire is not favored for nesting rooms, but in colder climates where decaying vegetation will not provide the required heat, may be used in conjunction with a cauldron of water to maintain humidity.

Mating, though somewhat more frequent during the Waning period of a turn, depends on the preferences of the participants; combined with the possible delays between mating and conception, this means that it is not possible to talk of mating or laying seasons among takmar. The same factors render it impossible to speak of an even loosely set breeding interval, to say nothing of the social elements that are also involved.

The physiological effort and the investment of energy and nutrients involved in producing, carrying, and laying eggs depletes a female's body in a way that, however quickly she may appear to recover, takes time to replenish. While the number of different factors involved - diet, age, health, social stress and conflict, environmental conditions, even the number of previous pregnancies – make it difficult to pinpoint a breeding interval that is “safe”, provided conditions are optimal, once to twice per cycle is relatively nonthreatening. That said, whether or not reproduction is good for her health may not be the primary motive for any given female, and there are very often pressures to produce children more frequently.

One is the simple fact of mortality, particularly infant mortality; food supplies are not always optimal, and takma knowledge of medicine, hygiene and biology are crude at best. Children being among the most vulnerable segments of the population, it is not at all unusual for them to die before reaching maturity, if indeed they hatch at all; a mother will often want to replace those that were lost, and to ensure that many children are produced to ensure that at least some survive. The high mortality rate, along with a skewed sex ratio of takma offspring, can require an average of ten children or more from each female simply to maintain a level population.

Another is status: fertility is, in most takma societies, taken as both a privilege and a duty; a gift of divine favor and superiority, to be used to advance one's bloodline and one's people. High-status females, in particular, are generally expected to bear many children, and are lowered in the sight of their peers if they do not.