Leopard Gecko Care
Everything you need to keep a leopard gecko healthy: biology, enclosure, heating, UVB, humidity, feeding, health, handling and breeding.
- Level
- Beginner
- Study time
- ~7 hours
- Modules
- 5
- Lessons
- 36
- Assessment
- Module quizzes · graded certificate
- Version
- v1.0 · reviewed 2 November 2026
What you'll learn
- ✓Describe the leopard gecko's biology, natural history and behaviour, and what they mean for its care
- ✓Set up an enclosure with a proper thermal gradient, thermostat control, low-level UVB and warm, cool and humid hides
- ✓Feed a varied, gut-loaded and correctly supplemented insect diet and judge body condition
- ✓Recognise good health and common problems such as retained shed, metabolic bone disease and cryptosporidiosis
- ✓Handle a leopard gecko safely, prevent tail loss and keep useful husbandry records
- ✓Explain incubation, temperature-dependent sex determination, morph genetics and the responsibilities of breeding and ownership
About this course
A practical five-module guide to caring for the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), a ground-dwelling gecko from South Asia and the Middle East and one of the most widely kept lizards in the world.
The course is written by HWA, the Herpetological & Wildlife Academy.
You'll study the leopard gecko's biology, natural history and behaviour, enclosure setup, heating, thermostats, humidity, the humid hide, UVB lighting and substrate, feeder insects, gut loading, supplements and body condition, health, shedding, tail loss, parasites, handling and everyday care, and finally breeding, incubation, genetics and responsible ownership, including UK law.
Every lesson is written in plain English with tables, diagrams and photos. Each module ends with a glossary and a multiple-choice quiz. When you've passed all five quizzes you receive a verifiable certificate of completion graded Pass, Merit or Distinction, based on your average quiz score.
This course is general education. It does not replace advice from a specialist reptile vet about an individual animal.
Cover photo: A young leopard gecko. Photo: Christian von Faber-Castell, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Course content
5 modules · 36 lessons · ~7 hours study time
Module 1Understanding the Leopard Gecko6 lessons
- Introducing the leopard geckoThe species, what makes it distinctive and where it sits in the animal kingdom.Free preview8 min
- Range, habitat and natural behaviourWhere leopard geckos live, the habitats and refuges they use and how they behave.8 min
- Anatomy, growth and sexingEyelids, tail, feet and senses, how big they grow and how to tell males from females.8 min
- Conservation, morphs and sourcingThreats in the wild, the leopard gecko in captivity and wild-caught versus captive-bred animals.8 min
- Module 1 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 1 quizTest your understanding of Module 1: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 2Enclosure Setup and Environmental Requirements8 lessons
- The enclosureChoosing an enclosure of the right size and construction, and getting ventilation right.8 min
- Heating and temperatureHeat sources, thermostats, the thermal gradient, night-time temperatures and monitoring.8 min
- Humidity and the humid hideKeeping the enclosure dry while giving the gecko a humid retreat.8 min
- Lighting and UVBDaytime lighting, low-level UVB and how to measure UV Index.8 min
- Substrate, hides and enrichmentChoosing a substrate, understanding impaction, and providing hides and climbing structures.8 min
- Water, hygiene, housing and setting upWater, cleaning, bioactive set-ups, why geckos are best kept alone and preparing for arrival.8 min
- Module 2 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 2 quizTest your understanding of Module 2: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 3Nutrition and Feeding6 lessons
- Diet and feeder insectsWhat leopard geckos eat, the main feeder insects, prey size and feeding frequency.8 min
- Gut loading and supplementsKeeping feeder insects nutritious, calcium, vitamin D3 and metabolic bone disease.8 min
- Feeding in practice and hydrationHow to offer insects, using feeding dishes and keeping your gecko hydrated.8 min
- Body condition and feeding recordsRecognising obese and underweight geckos, the demands of egg production and keeping feeding records.8 min
- Module 3 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 3 quizTest your understanding of Module 3: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 4Health, Behaviour and Everyday Management7 lessons
- Behaviour, handling and tail lossNormal behaviour, handling safely and what to do if a gecko drops its tail.8 min
- Shedding and seasonal changesHow shedding works, retained shed and brumation.8 min
- Bone, gut and parasite problemsMetabolic bone disease, cryptosporidiosis, intestinal parasites and impaction.8 min
- Other common health problemsEgg binding, eggs without a male, mouth and eye problems, respiratory infections and dehydration.8 min
- Health checks, quarantine and routineRecognising a healthy gecko, quarantine, a care routine, records and when to see a vet.8 min
- Module 4 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 4 quizTest your understanding of Module 4: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Module 5Breeding, Genetics and Responsible Ownership9 lessons
- Preparing to breedReproduction, sexing, maturity and preparing animals for breeding.8 min
- Courtship to egg layingMating, ovulation, clutch size, the laying box and collecting eggs.8 min
- Incubation and sex determinationIncubating eggs, how temperature affects sex, incubation time and candling.8 min
- Hatching and hatchling careHatching, caring for neonates and first feeds.8 min
- Genetics and morphsHow recessive, incomplete dominant and polygenic traits are inherited, and the common morphs.8 min
- Breeding for healthEnigma syndrome, selective breeding, inbreeding and reproductive health.8 min
- Responsible ownershipPlacing hatchlings, transport, UK law and lifelong ownership.8 min
- Module 5 glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.6 min
- Module 5 quizTest your understanding of Module 5: 10 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark 60%.10 min
Who this course is for
- New and prospective leopard gecko owners
- Keepers who want to check their set-up against current good practice
- Reptile shop staff who advise customers
Assessment & certificate
Each module ends with a quiz that is marked automatically: multiple-choice questions plus a written section where you explain what you've learned in your own words. You can take each quiz once and cannot retake it, and you'll see the correct answer to any question you got wrong.
When you've completed every module, you receive a certificate of completion with a unique verification code, graded on your average score across all the module quizzes:
- PassUp to 69%
- Merit70–79%
- Distinction80–100%
Everyone who completes every module receives a certificate.
This certificate confirms completion of an online, theory-based course and a passed online assessment. It is not an accredited qualification and does not certify practical competence.