Skip to content
Herpetological & WildlifeAcademy

Reptile Husbandry Fundamentals

Heat, light, humidity, enclosures, nutrition and health: the science of keeping reptiles well.

Level
Intermediate
Study time
~8.5 hours
Modules
7
Lessons
49
Assessment
Module quizzes · graded certificate
Version
v1.0 · reviewed 13 October 2026

What you'll learn

  • ✓Explain ectothermy and how reptiles regulate their body temperature
  • ✓Create, measure and troubleshoot a safe thermal gradient
  • ✓Choose heating equipment and thermostats, and install them safely
  • ✓Understand UVA and UVB, and measure UV exposure with a UV Index meter
  • ✓Manage humidity, ventilation and moisture without causing problems
  • ✓Design enclosures with suitable substrates, hides, climbing structures and enrichment
  • ✓Plan a species-appropriate diet, with safe supplementation and water provision
  • ✓Recognise signs of illness and know when to seek veterinary help
  • ✓Apply quarantine, hygiene and biosecurity procedures
  • ✓Run daily, weekly and periodic husbandry checks and keep useful records

About this course

Rather than a care sheet for one species, this course teaches the principles behind good reptile husbandry, so you can make confident, evidence-based decisions for the animals in your care.

Across seven modules you'll study reptile biology and ectothermy, heat and thermoregulation, lighting, UVB and humidity, enclosure design and enrichment, nutrition and hydration, health, welfare and biosecurity, and finally practical husbandry routines, monitoring and troubleshooting.

Every lesson is written in plain English and illustrated with diagrams, charts, tables and photographs of real animals. Each module ends with a scientific glossary and a quiz: ten multiple-choice questions plus a written section where you explain what you've learned in your own words. Quizzes are marked automatically and can be taken once, and you'll see the correct answer to anything you got wrong.

When you've completed all seven modules, you receive a verifiable certificate of completion graded Pass, Merit or Distinction, based on your average score across the module quizzes.

Course content

7 modules · 49 lessons · ~8.5 hours study time

Module 1Introduction to Reptiles and Husbandry7 lessons
  • Understanding reptilesWhat makes an animal a reptile, the four living groups, and why accurate identification underpins good husbandry.Free preview10 min
  • Ectothermy and thermoregulationHow reptiles use external heat, why temperature affects almost every body process, and how to provide and check a safe thermal gradient.12 min
  • Natural habitats and captive husbandryMacrohabitats, microhabitats and the environmental variables that matter, and why an enclosure that looks natural isn't automatically suitable.12 min
  • Species-specific husbandry and enclosure planningPlanning before you buy, usable space, substrate, hides and enrichment, bioactive setups, hygiene, and testing an enclosure before the animal goes in.12 min
  • Animal welfare, ethics and responsible ownershipWhat good welfare means, spotting stress and ill health, quarantine and biosecurity, responsible sourcing, the law, and the keeper's ongoing duty of care.13 min
  • Module 1 scientific 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 and your own written notes. Pass mark 60%.20 min
Module 2Temperature, Thermoregulation and Heating7 lessons
  • Thermal biology and reptile physiologyWhy temperature is fundamental to reptile welfare, what ectothermy really means, how heat moves around an enclosure, and how temperature affects the body.11 min
  • Thermal gradients, preferred temperatures and thermal limitsBuilding useful thermal choices, safe basking areas, the difference between preferred, optimal and limit temperatures, and getting night-time conditions right.10 min
  • Measuring temperature accuratelyAir versus surface temperature, using infrared and probe thermometers properly, thermometers versus thermostats, monitoring over time and measurement error.10 min
  • Heating equipment, thermostats and safe installationChoosing a heat source, lamps, ceramic emitters and other heaters, thermostat types and probe placement, preventing burns, and writing a heating plan.12 min
  • Thermal stress, troubleshooting and practical monitoringRecognising too little or too much heat, thermal burns, a step-by-step method for fixing heating problems, monitoring records and commissioning an enclosure.11 min
  • Module 2 scientific glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.5 min
  • Module 2 quizTest your understanding of Module 2: 10 multiple-choice questions and your own written notes. Pass mark 60%.20 min
Module 3Lighting, UVB and Humidity7 lessons
  • Understanding light, UVA and UVBVisible light, UVA and UVB and what each does, how UVB supports vitamin D3 and calcium metabolism, and why UVB and heat must be assessed separately.9 min
  • Lighting equipment, UV Index and practical UV measurementTypes of UVB lamp, what the UV Index means, choosing and using a Solarmeter step by step, what changes UVI readings, and setting photoperiods.11 min
  • Humidity, hydration and using a hygrometerWhat relative humidity really means, why needs vary by species, choosing, positioning and checking a hygrometer, and how to read humidity spikes.11 min
  • Ventilation, moisture management and enclosure designWhy ventilation matters, building moisture gradients, managing substrate and water, measuring microclimates, and a step-by-step approach to moisture problems.7 min
  • Troubleshooting lighting, humidity and environmental problemsWorking through UVB and humidity problems, shedding and hydration, keeping records you can compare over time, and when to get professional help.7 min
  • Module 3 scientific 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 and your own written notes. Pass mark 60%.20 min
Module 4Enclosure Design and Environmental Enrichment7 lessons
  • Principles of enclosure design and usable spaceWhat an enclosure must do, why usable space matters more than external size, designing for terrestrial, arboreal, fossorial and semi-aquatic species, and planning before you build.9 min
  • Substrates, burrowing and microhabitatsWhat substrate does, the main substrate types, ingestion and impaction concerns, moisture and burrow stability, and keeping substrate in good condition.8 min
  • Hides, climbing structures and environmental enrichmentWhy secure hides matter, what real enrichment looks like, building safe climbing structures, avoiding collapse risks, choosing plants, and judging whether enrichment works.8 min
  • Bioactive enclosures and naturalistic designWhat a bioactive enclosure is and isn't, its main components, choosing plants and materials safely, managing moisture, realistic clean-up crew expectations, and quarantine.8 min
  • Structural safety, hygiene, commissioning and maintenancePreventing escapes, choosing sound materials, electrical safety, cleaning versus disinfection, routine inspections, and a step-by-step commissioning process.10 min
  • Module 4 scientific glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.5 min
  • Module 4 quizTest your understanding of Module 4: 10 multiple-choice questions and your own written notes. Pass mark 60%.20 min
Module 5Nutrition, Feeding and Hydration7 lessons
  • Reptile diets and nutritional requirementsWhy diet must be species-specific, how carnivorous, insectivorous, herbivorous and omnivorous reptiles differ, and the nutrients every diet must supply.9 min
  • Feeding practices, prey selection and feeder insect careChoosing suitable food, prey size and safety, feeding frequency and portions, gut-loading and dusting feeder insects, and feeding hygiene.8 min
  • Calcium, vitamins and nutritional supplementationWhy calcium matters, calcium-to-phosphorus balance, key vitamins, how diet and UVB work together, the risks of deficiency and excess, and recording supplement use.7 min
  • Hydration, drinking behaviour and water provisionWhy hydration matters, providing suitable drinking water, how different species drink, the role of food moisture, warning signs, and why humidity is not hydration.7 min
  • Feeding problems, body condition and practical monitoringTracking appetite, body condition and weight, over- and underfeeding, regurgitation, food hygiene and parasites, feeding records, and when to see a vet.7 min
  • Module 5 scientific glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.5 min
  • Module 5 quizTest your understanding of Module 5: 10 multiple-choice questions and your own written notes. Pass mark 60%.20 min
Module 6Health, Welfare and Biosecurity7 lessons
  • Understanding reptile health and welfareWhat health really means, learning an animal's normal behaviour, why reptiles conceal illness, how the environment affects health, and a practical welfare assessment.9 min
  • Recognising illness and monitoring healthWhy early recognition matters, warning signs in appetite, skin, breathing, movement and faeces, and a simple three-level health-monitoring routine.9 min
  • Preventative care, hygiene and biosecurityWhat preventative care can and can't do, cleaning versus disinfection, preventing cross-contamination, quarantine for new reptiles, parasites and disease, and handling.9 min
  • Common health risks and responsible responsesHusbandry-related health problems, metabolic bone disease, burns and injuries, respiratory and skin problems, stress, when to escalate to a vet, and what to tell them.9 min
  • Welfare assessment, record keeping and professional responsibilityWelfare as an ongoing duty, a structured welfare assessment, keeping useful health records, a step-by-step response to concerns, ethics and continuous improvement.7 min
  • Module 6 scientific glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.5 min
  • Module 6 quizTest your understanding of Module 6: 10 multiple-choice questions and your own written notes. Pass mark 60%.20 min
Module 7Practical Husbandry, Monitoring and Troubleshooting7 lessons
  • Establishing effective husbandry routinesWhy routine matters, what to check daily and on a schedule, establishing an animal's baseline, and building a practical checklist.9 min
  • Monitoring equipment and environmental recordsUsing thermometers, probes, infrared thermometers, thermostats, hygrometers and UV meters properly, and recording measurements you can rely on.9 min
  • Systematic troubleshootingWhat good troubleshooting looks like, the five-stage method, working through common husbandry problems, changing one thing at a time, and when husbandry isn't enough.7 min
  • Safe practical care and equipment maintenanceSafe working practices, cleaning and disinfection, feeding and water management, inspecting equipment, and planning for when things go wrong.7 min
  • Record-keeping and continuous improvementWhy records matter, observations versus assumptions, what to record, spotting trends, communicating with professionals, and improving your husbandry system over time.6 min
  • Module 7 scientific glossaryThe key terms from this module. Learn them and be able to explain each one in your own words.5 min
  • Module 7 quizTest your understanding of Module 7: 10 multiple-choice questions and your own written notes. Pass mark 60%.20 min

Who this course is for

  • New and prospective reptile keepers
  • Experienced keepers who want to check their set-ups against current good practice
  • Animal care students
  • Reptile shop and rescue staff

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:

  • Pass60–69%
  • Merit70–79%
  • Distinction80–100%

An average below 60% completes the course without 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.