In addition to being able to breed them yourself, it is also possible to keep male and female Emerald Swifts in cohabitation. Cohabitation is only appropriate when breeding is your main goal. Keeping males together can lead to fighting and overcrowding can lead to severe injuries. Breeding Emerald Swifts is an excellent opportunity for you to get a rare bird with amazing colors. To breed them, you must create an enclosure with a large enough space for both males and females.
Keeping an Emerald Swift in captivity
When deciding to keep an emerald swift, consider its natural habitat. The emerald swift lives in high-elevation cloud forests, so a cool, humid climate is ideal. While Bearded dragons and Mountain Horned dragons prefer warmer climates, the Emerald swift requires cooler, more humid conditions to thrive. The good news is that these creatures are relatively easy to keep.
As arboreal lizards, Emerald swifts require a secure housing system. Although they do well in small terrariums, they require bigger, more spacious enclosures as they grow. If you plan on keeping one emerald swift in captivity, use a Zilla 18x18x25 Front Opening Terrarium. Aside from a standard terrarium, you may want to add Zilla Jungle Mix or Bark Blend to its substrate. You can also use Zilla Vertical Decor to create an attractive habitat for your emerald swifts.
Life span
The life span of breeding Emerald Swift varies according to the species. The earliest stage of breeding is when the emerald swift is an adult, but this doesn’t mean you should breed them before this age. You can breed this species as a pet once they reach maturity. In captivity, it can feed on dubia roaches and crickets. Feeder insects should be fed a high-quality, nutritional gut-load insect food or a cricket drink. The nutrients in the food are passed on to the Emerald Swift, and you should also provide calcium and vitamin supplements for them.
In order to breed an Emerald Swift, you must keep their habitat relatively humid. It should be about sixty to eighty percent humid. The humidity should be clammy but not wet. The substrate should be soft and provide a landing platform for the emerald swift. Orchid bark and cypress mulch are good sources of humidity. These two elements help the emerald swift grow strong and healthy.
Diet
An Emerald Swift’s diet consists of a variety of insects. These insects can include mealworms, superworms, hornworms, silkworms, locusts, and crickets. Emeralds must be fed about 15 to 20 medium crickets per week. A feeder is ideal, as it will be easier to locate and catch the insects. A feeding dish should be slightly pressed into the substrate.
Adults of this lizard should be fed three to four times per week. As their diet is predominantly insect-based, they should be provided with as many crickets as they can easily eat in 20 minutes. Vitamin supplements and calcium are also important, and they can be given in the form of a powder that can be dusted on the prey prior to feeding. A reptile multivitamin should be given once a week.
Housing
The main requirement for keeping a successful Emerald Swift is proper housing. This small bird can thrive in a 20 Long tank with adequate space to regulate its temperature. Its diet consists of a variety of small insects, such as crickets, superworms, and locusts. They should be fed every other day and dusted with calcium and a multivitamin once a week. For optimal health, the Emeralds should be fed with a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D3 once per week.
The Emerald Swift can be kept in groups, but it should be kept in separate enclosures. Males and females can cohabit, but this requires a larger enclosure. This is only recommended for breeding purposes as males may start fighting and overcrowding can lead to serious injuries. Keep in mind that this species will not tolerate extreme temperatures. They will withstand temperatures between 26 and 30C, which is about 80 to 87F. The preferred habitat for breeding Emerald Swifts is a large enclosure 36 inches long by 18 inches wide by 36″ tall.
Temperatures
To begin breeding your own Emerald Swift, you must carefully select the appropriate habitat and provide proper food and water. You should also provide a standing water source in the enclosure, and mist it with room temperature water twice a day. These birds do not tolerate high humidity, so they should be kept in a temperature that is approximately 20 degrees below the ambient temperature. If you have any questions about the care of your new pet, consult the breeder’s care sheet.
An emerald swift should be kept in a cage that has two distinct temperature zones, a “forest” area and a basking area. The basking area should maintain an ambient temperature of 75 to 80 degrees, while the nighttime temperature should be 68-69 degrees. Cold climates may require an all-night heating pad. To maintain humidity, mist the substrate every few days. Misting plants will also keep the environment damp and prevent excessive shedding.
UVB bulb
An appropriate UVB bulb for breeding Emerald Swift is crucial for your reptile. This type of light can boost the uptake and synthesis of essential vitamins. You can supplement the UVB bulb by giving your reptiles calcium and vitamin D3 supplements. If you’d like to avoid the cost of buying expensive vitamins, try giving them reptile multivitamins every week. Regardless of the type of UVB bulb you use, be sure to give your reptiles a water bowl and plenty of branches. The humidity level in the tank should be between 60-70%.
The temperature gradient in the nest box should be around 84-86degF and the basking area near 90 degF. While the temperature can go down to 68-70degF at night, you should make sure that the temperature does not drop below 75 degF. A halogen heat lamp can imitate the sun’s light, but ceramic emitters are not as effective as UVB bulbs. The best UVB bulb for breeding Emerald Swift is a halogen bulb.