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26 Capital Corp (ADERU) is a new at-NAV SPAC with world-leading online gambling expertise - worth a bet
EDIT - one week after i posted this, Britain's most successful hedge fund manager Michael Platt has taken a 6.5% stake tl;dr At-NAV new SPAC with world-leading expertise in online gambling. Worth a bet on potential to be next DKNG on the hype train
+++++++ Hi all - have had a lot of great tips from this sub. Hopefully this pays some of you back. I have been watching and researching this since 23 December when it first filed S1, awaiting the units to be listed - they are available today trading as ADERU Positions - 500 units @ 10.42 to start. Will be monitoring and building position below $15, especially if attention starts to build ahead of units and warrants splitting and shares coming available to Robinhood. (My other SPAC positions are OPEN, IPO-E-F, PSTH, FUSE, PIPP, ACTC, CCIV and DMYD, 100 to 1000 shares each mostly around NAV and numerous warrants and options around these.) As ever, this is not investment advice and do your own research +++++++
26 Capital Acquisition Corp or ADER is a 240m SPAC with usual terms - 10$ units, 1/2 warrants. Seeking a merger in "gaming and gaming technology, branded consumer, lodging and entertainment, and Internet commerce sectors". I think this is highly worth a play on the online gambling hype if you can get in at near NAV, based entirely on the management which is unbeatable in its knowledge of the gambling industry
CEO Jason Ader has held director level positions at Las Vegas Sands Corp. ($42bn one of biggest casino groups in world), IGT (£3.72bn multinational gambling firm specialised in software and slot machines) and Playtech (£1.4bn multinational gambling software firm) Before starting his own fund in 2013 he was regularly ranked Wall Street's top analyst on the gambling and leisure sector His fund, Spring Owl Capital, is a small activist fund focused on gambling and leisure. They are probably most famous for ousting the CEO of Viacom in 2016 and a crusade against Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer in 2015. Ader knows the gambling - and online gambling - industry inside out. He drove bWin to a £1.1bn takeover by gambling giant GVC (now Entain) in 2016, and has been driving similar change and demands for improvement at board level at Playtech The fund mostly manages money for a select group of wealthy families, which could be a positive sign for the SPAC (although I don't know how much skin in the SPAC the fund has, if any) Here is a video of Ader from November talking about how he's excited about SPACs. He talks about how he has been advising certain States about legalising sports betting and how to maximise value and liquidity by linking up with European companies in the space (Playtech e.g.??). Ader is extremely bullish on US legalising online casino and more sports betting options, accelerated by need for revenue because of pandemic
Rafi Ashkenazi One of the most highly respected names in the online gambling world, including COO and CEO positions at major online gambling firms such as Playtech and Stars Group (a world leader in online poker and casino). At Stars he led the $4.7bn takeover of Sky Betting to create the world's largest publicly listed online betting firm in 2018. Most recently he led the £10bn merger between Flutter (biggest gambling company in world by revenue, market cap £26bn), and Stars Group (Ader also involved). Also has connections into the booming Israel tech space which is interesting
Joseph Kaminkow Special Advisor to the Chief Product Officer at Aristocrat, a leading gambling software provider and games publisher, previously Vice President of Game Design at Zynga Inc. This guy is a former video game / pinball designer who is credited with revolutionising the slots industry after moving into gambling software from video games in 1999. Regarded as a "legend" and "hall of famer" in this niche. At Zynga he designed so-called 'social casino games' which don't involve real-money gambling but are otherwise basically gambling apps (revenue from microtransactions etc). 130 patents on gambling/gaming design inventions
Greg Lyss This is a very interesting but extremely low profile person. He was Bill Ackman a.k.a SPACman's right hand man at Gotham Capital. Ackman respected him so much that when Ackman set up a personal hedge fund to invest the Ackman family's money, he put Lyss in charge of it. To repeat - Bill Ackman thinks this guy is such a good investor and trustworthy that he put him in charge of investing his family's money. Don't know anything more about him, but I like this association with Ackman, which suggests to me some integrity around management of this SPAC, especially as the gambling world can be very murky. The other member of the team is the CFO of SpringOwl with 20+ years' hedge fund experience and not notable (although clearly competent)
Thesis / potential targets Based on the above experience and many public comments by Ader over the past year, I would be very surprised if ADER is not looking to merge with an online gambling technology provider / existing online betting website / social casino app / possibly a supporting technology provider They are activist inventors, and specifically say in the IPO prospectus that they could look for businesses that can benefit from turnaround or are not being run well. I speculate that their deep knowledge of the European / global online gambling industry means they have a target in mind that they think would benefit from their expertise and US liberalisation of gambling legislation.
1) Ader believes the listing of UK-listed gambling companies in US is immediately big in terms of market cap because of the premium on online gambling stocks in US. He has pitched DraftKings to takeover Playtech and called on Playtech to spin off non-core business. This makes me wonder if he would spin off some element of Playtech to list in US to cash in on gambling hype. This might be Finalto.com / TradeTech which is an online financial platform owned by Playtech. Playtech has been trying to sell this for 200 - 240m since August so it fits. This company provides liquidity and trading to brokerages and runs markets.com a trading site. I wouldn't be that excited although apparently the business has been booming during COVID and there could be a decent pop just on fintech hype.
2) This could be a 'picks and shovel' type data/B2B betting software play a la DMYD, or something like e.g. Israel based CRM software Optimove which works with some of biggest online gambling cos and has links to Ashkenazi. This would be interesting but probably not a huge pop
3) Possibly - given Ader's links to Sands - an online gambling tie-up with one of the big Vegas casinos who are desperate to get into the online betting space (see MGM's attempt to buy Entain for $8bn last week). Interestingly, Sands' owner Sheldon Adelson, previously a major opponent of online betting, has just died. Ader predicted a few months ago that Sands would be moving in this direction.
“There’s no stopping online gaming,” Ader said [before Adelson's death]. “(Las Vegas Sands’) initiatives to stop online gaming, at this stage, are largely historic. There hasn’t been a lot of spending recently to do that, especially post-pandemic.” “I think the company will see the value created by DraftKings and FanDuel and Penn (National) Gaming and others. They’re not foolish,” Ader added. source
4) Ader is very confident that Macau will legalise online gambling in next year or two. Sands is big in Macau, the biggest gambling market in the world. A SaaS-type product positioned to capitalise on Asian gambling would be MASSIVE - at present however, China's attitude to gambling and local regulations mean this is unlikely
5) I also wonder if they might try to take legitimate one of the offshore bookmakers with big customer databases and brand recognition but which have been grey-area/illegal under US gaming legislation. For example, Five Dimes recently announced a settlement with the FBI to attempt to transition into newly legalised US markets. This might have the most hype potential
Potential upside This is entirely a play on management experience and the meme factor / hype around online gambling in the US. I think if they pick a good target - which given their experience and connections seems likely - and get the right publicity and attention from retail investors looking for the next DKNG this could easily 3x and maybe 5-6x if on DKNG-type hype levels. There is currently little spotlight on this and it is a good time to get in at NAV
Potential Downside
Ader has been vocal that he thinks US online betting is overvalued and in a bubble - why is he starting his own SPAC in the space then? Does he just want to cash in while the hype is at all-time high or does he have a legitimate business goal?
If he just wants to dump a part of Playtech which he does not like onto retail investors, this is a bad deal.
Other targets could be e.g. hotel industry or other leisure sector which would be zero sexiness to retail. Given Ashkenazi and Kaminkow's background this seems unlikely though
Usual SPAC caveats apply about potential difficulty finding a target, locking up your money for unspecified period of time, and the fact I may have completely misread the potential and my above thesis might be totally wrong
Updated list of Global Beermoney opportunities (+180!) - December 2020
Updated list of Global Beermoney opportunities (+180!) - December 2020
Introduction
The lists consist of opportunities that are available in at least one country that is not the US. This means there are sites which only work in Canada or the UK. There’s sites which are open to the whole world, but this does not mean everyone can really earn something on it. It’s all still very demographic and therefore location dependent. This list should give you a starting point to try out and find what works for you. I’m not using everything myself as I prefer to focus on a few, so not all are tested by me. They are found in this sub, other subreddits and other resources where people claim to have success. I’ve chosen the format of a simple table with the bare minimum of information to keep things clean. It includes a link, how you earn, personal payment proof if available and sign-up bonus codes if applicable. Some of these bonuses are also one-time use codes specifically made for this sub! For the ones I don’t have payment proof (yet) feel free to provide some as a comment or via modmail so others know it’s legit. I am working on detailed instructions for each method that I personally use which will include things like cashout minimum, cashout options, tips & tricks,... For now I’ve split things up based on the type of earning like passive or mobile. Because of this there’s sometimes an overlap as some are both passive and on mobile or both earning crypto and a GPT (Get Paid To) website. The lists are obviously not complete so I invite you to keep posting new ones in the sub, as a comment to this post, or in modmail. Especially if you have sites or apps which work for one single specific country I can start building a list, just like I did for The Netherlands and Belgium. If you recognize things which are in fact scams or not worth it let me know as well.
Beermoney opportunities
Get Paid To (Surveys, tasks, offers, videos, clicking links, play games, searching)
For The Netherlands there are a few very good options next to a bunch of ‘spaarprogramma’s. These ‘spaarprogramma’s are all the same where you receive and click a bunch of e-mails, advertisements, banners,... I advise you to create a separate e-mail address or use a good filter in your inbox as you will be spammed to death. I believe they can be a nice piece of beermoney but they take quite the effort.
The one-time sign-up bonus programs are still to be found here. If you find a new one let me know so I can create the post to keep all the ref links together.
Saving money
Although it’s not really about making money online, it’s still nice to save some money as well when shopping online.
CryptoNick is deleting all of his BitConnect videos, and so are his buddies. Please never forget what he and his cohorts did to so many people, and how much money those people lost in the process thanks to CryptoNick, Trevon James, and Craig Grant! (26501 points, 3028 comments)
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I will tell you exactly what is going on here, this is critical information to understand if you are going to make money in this space. How prices work, and what moves them - and it's not money invested/withdrawn. (20146 points, 1431 comments)
CryptoNick is deleting all of his BitConnect videos, and so are his buddies. Please never forget what he and his cohorts did to so many people, and how much money those people lost in the process thanks to CryptoNick, Trevon James, and Craig Grant! by DestroyerOfShitcoins (26501 points, 3028 comments)
I will tell you exactly what is going on here, this is critical information to understand if you are going to make money in this space. How prices work, and what moves them - and it's not money invested/withdrawn. by Suuperdad (20146 points, 1431 comments)
Listen up folks, if you "did", or still do promote cryptocurrency related scams, you will be called out on it via this sub-Reddit. We don't care about you, or your ill-gotten gains, we care about the general well-being of our community first and foremost. by DestroyerOfShitcoins (17885 points, 1272 comments)
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Dead People With Something To Say 0.9: John Lennon
Who Are They
This instalment of Dead People With Something to Say is partially poignant due to its timeliness. Today’s subject would have been 80 years old this very month and much of today’s post will be detailing the many reasons this man could not be with us here today. You cannot not know him, of course ladies and gentleman I’m talking about possibly one of the dead people with the most to say, none other than Mr John “Winston Boogie” Lennon.
What did they say
John Winston Lennon was born on the 9th of October 1940 art Liverpool Maternity Hospital in the United Kingdom to a working class family. He spent the first five years of his life living with his maternal parents but in 1945, after his farther had dishonourably abandoned his military service, he began to live with his Aunty Mimi. His time with Mimi would be the happiest of his childhood and whilst he got along with the local children he became to be known and the local trouble maker, the boy the other children’s parents warned them not to play with. This didn’t stop John becoming popular with the people with his high-school drawings making it into the daily school paper “The Daily Howl”. Despite these glimmers of happiness at Aunt Mimi’s a tragic moment would go on to form the thematic basis for Lennon’s entire career. On the 15th of July 1958 Julia Lennon, John’s mother, was struck by an oncoming off duty police car and passed away instantly. John’s instant response to this tragic event was to sink into a denial fuelled raged that caused him to hit the bottle. He’d go on to be thrown out of the academic institutions in his life and was “cited” by his peers at the time as “being content to drift. By this time John’s group The Quarrymen were making waves in the local skiffle scene. Skiffle Skiffle can be defined as the wave of music in-between early 20th century American Blues and Folk music craze and Rock and Roll. The first wave occurred in mid 1920’s and the craze spread through the Western World petering out by the late 50’s. What was unique about skiffle bands is that they performed using an array of rather… basic instruments shall we say. Washboards, milk jugs, tea-chests, cigar boxes, bath tubs and combs were all used by skiffle groups across the ages to fill out the sound any way they could. This improvisational attitude also manages to spread into the music and some of the early skiffle music is some of the most spirited this author has had ever pleasure of listening to. It was at one of these early Quarrymen performances that John was introduced by one of his friends to a gentleman called Paul McCartney. The two had been aware of one another prior to meeting and struck a chord right away with Lennon asking McCartney to join the Quarrymen and despite their guardians respective disapproval of the other the two got along famously and began to write original songs independently at first and then over time brought the other in to help accordingly. This quickly led to a collaborative relationship that would go on span the next two decades. Paul would in turn invite the slightly younger George Harrison to the mix as the lead guitarist which allowed Paul and John to focus on songwriting and showmanship. They went through a flurry of names after The Quarrymen but by 1960 they finally settled on The Beatles. Their relative location fame had enabled them to book a 48 date tour in Hamburg but they were missing an essential part of the band, a drummer. This led to them bringing in local drummer Pete Best as a last minute fill in. Their stint in Hamburg acted as the first foray into adulthood whisking the boys away from small town Liverpool and emerging them in a world of nightlife, narcotics and lust. That is to say they played all day and all night, took amphetamines to stay awake and slept with all the young ladies of the night they could. Due to George’s young age and their promiscuous behaviour the boys were sent home early by deportation all but John. During this period John played with local German groups and returned home on his own without altering the others to his immediate arrival. This was due to John’s emotions at the time. His time in Hamburg had opened his eyes to the reality of the entertainment industry and its pitfalls and tendencies to promote sinful behaviour. He debated whether or not this life was for him. As we all know John continued on with his efforts in the musical field but this brief moment of self awareness would speak multitudes about his attitude to come. By this time around 62-63 the Beatles had taken steps to move up the ladder of the British music industry. During this period of time they had acquired a manager by the name of Brian Epstein and a new drummer by the name of Ringo Starr, lost a bass player by the name of Stuart Sutcliffe and Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting ability had come on leaps and bounds. Starting out on the first couple of albums writing fairly simplistic pieces entirely from their imaginations, Johns work especially had began to take on a more self aware tone. A song like “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party” is hugely indicative of Lennon’s attitude at the time because of one is to ponder upon the lyrics one will see that whilst Lennon feels discontent regarding the actions of his peers at said party, he is still displaying typical British politeness by saying “I’d hate my disappointment to show”. He is still uneasy when it comes to speaking his own truth that is to say. By 1964 they had begun appearing in their own motion pictures which led to what we all now know as “Beatlemania”. This growing notion within Lennon would grow to become the entire emotional basis for his creative output in the latter half of the 60’s and early 70’s. Although it would not peak for another few years a stark change in Lennon’s creative tone comes with creation of the album “Help” in 1965. It is probably worth at this juncture talking about the operations of the Beatles camp in their formative years and the background and relationship between each camp. The key players, and by key players I am referring to individuals that have influence over what The Beatles was I. The eyes of the general public, are in 1965:
The 4 Beatles themselves
The Girlfriends of each respective Beatle at any time.
The upbringing and general temperament of these listed individuals would come to have a large impact on the latter stages of the Beatles career. To not mince words I am speaking about the moral and political climate of 1960’s Britain. The Sputnik Crisis All one must do if they want an overview of Britain’s place on the world stage prior to the 20th century is to read our post on Mr John Dee. But to put it simply, by establishing the Commonwealth around the globe over the centuries that comprised the second millennium, The British Empire established themselves as the main global superpower and it wasn’t until the westernisation of the Americas that this crown would be knocked so to speak. A large portion of the UK’s national pride still lies upon the idea that we won World War 2, showed those Jerries who’s boss and resolidifed our place as the dominating force we had become known as but let’s take a look at the facts.
America came in to “help” the allies in the last years of the war.
German technological advancements were trumping that of our own especially when it came to artillery, rocketry and aircraft.This was enabled by the slave labour that was being conducted at the concentration camps.
In the aftermath of WW2 Russia and America swept up the available assets of the fallen Nazi Party what was known as The Soviet Alsos and Operation Paperclip in each country respectively leaving Britain in the dust.
These technological advancements led to the subsequent “Space Race” in which Britain was not really a part of.
These listed points all contributed to what would become to be known as “The Sputnik Crisis”. In short this crisis came from the general public in response to the 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite known as Sputnik. This was the first launch of its kind and had beaten the American efforts by nearly a year. This led to a sort of national panic in the UK because news publications and national propaganda had led the masses to believe the UK were still the global power they once were prior the the wailed warfare. The problem being was that the war had taken its toll on the economy and this author is willing to bet that with the VE Day celebrations the British general public would have been incredibly disheartened after 6 years of intense rationing and banding together to make do and mend. The publicised “win” for the United Kingdom is till held in a position of intense pride to this day with annual “reenactment fairs” and “air shows” displaying the wears of our great triumph but it only takes a quick glance at modern culture to see that the global stage was much more influenced by the Germanic advancements that anything coming out of Royal Britannia. It is this pomp that still exists to this day in the form of things like the Brexit debacle and thegrowing discontent in the British people and the growing minority populations that have gathered here since the advent of WW2. So getting back to The Fab Four, there was a great divide happening amongst the young liberal minded people of the world and the old guard of conservative voters that resided in Britain’s more rural areas. Typically in Britain if you are working class you vote Labour and if you are middle or upper class you vote conservative. Red or blue. Left or right. There are third party parties but non get taken seriously. Splitting the key members of the Beatles camp into ideological groups allows one to notice some peculiar, not telling observations. Splitting the key members of the Beatles camp into ideological groups allows one to notice some peculiar, quite telling observations.  This chart shows roughly where the important members of the Beatles operation sat ideologically, with obviously wiggle room here and there as nothing is this easily generalisable.
Left
Middle
Right
Lennon (see parental situation)
Paul McCartney
Bill McCartney
Harrison (passive in attitude)
Ringo Starr
George Martin
Brian Epstein (gay in 1960’s Britain
Derek Taylor
Geoff Emerick
Mal Evens
Bare this in mind it becomes importantly shortly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So by 1965 the Beatles are a worldwide phenomenon and are filming their second film “Help”named after the Lennon composition that’d he’d penned earlier that year and in the same spirit as the songs listed earlier, Help carried on the theme of self-awareness with Lennon evenciting Help as the “first time I was consciously writing, and the first thing I said was Help! And I meant it”. This humble cry for help was a stark difference to the tough macho bravado Lennon had become to be known for. An example of this bravado would be at Paul McCartney’s 18th birthday where a good friend of the Beatles insinuated that due to Lennon’s closeness to Brian Epstein he must be a homosexual like Brian. This led to Lennon brutally beating the man with a shovel with members of the party having to physically remove John from the fight. We now turn our attention to the current public perceptions of John Lennon. On this website itself among many others this author has noticed an increasing opinion that despite his calls for “peace”, Lennon has become known as a sexist, abusive and angry man. This is due in this authors opinion to:
the over publication of his political efforts
the under publication of his efforts to right his wrongs.
A public discrepancy regarding his personal relationships and the nature of his motives.
An inability to empathise on the part of the general public.
An active campaign by several world governments to silence his morally admirable efforts.
Earlier I mentioned the influences of each Beatles respective spouse at any one time and being that “love” was the focus of a lot of their (and everyone else’s) compositions, being in a relationship with a Beatle meant you:
You will have an effect on their everyday headspace therefore affecting other compositions not entirely about them as an individual.
Cynthia Lennon was John’s first wife. They met at Art College whilst The Beatles were forming and the two were married by 62 and by 63 they’d had their first child Julian. By all accounts Cynthia was a typical British gal who enjoyed art in a very reserved British kind of way akin to John’s sheepish early compositions. Paired with Paul’s girlfriend at the time, actress Jane Asher, the two couples ruled the British tabloids like peas in a pod. It’s hearing all this jubilance that makes hearing about the cases of domestic abuse that have been levelled against Lennon all the more disheartening. "It is a diary form of writing. All that 'I used to be cruel to my woman / I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved' was me. I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically – any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women. That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace. Everything's the opposite. Detailed in The Beatles song “Getting Better” from 66’s Sgt Pepper, Lennon indeed was known to become violent when intoxicated and let loose the pain he was holding probably dating back to the loss of his mother. A subconscious love/hate relationship with women. Not an excuse, simply an explanation. Each infamous case of Lennon’s dark side will be chronicled here and hopefully by then end of this piece you may be able to find some empathy for the man. It would be the culmination of these emotions that resulted in the first conscious song from Lennon in his own estimations, “Help”. In Help, Lennon throws himself at the mercy of his peers by saying “look I know I’ve been macho and hard to deal with in the past but please, right now, I need help” The song can be seen as an admittance of guilt and a want for anybody around him to extend a helping hand. Also transpiring around the release of Help was the groups developing interest in psychedelic substances all thanks to a Mr Zimmerman on their trips across the pond to the might USA. This inclination for the herb led the outlooks of the Beatles to change somewhat. Interviews from 65-66 are fairly lucid and relaxed in tone with the boys offsetting the monotonous questions from interviewers with abstract observations that tickled the crowds and rightly so. Their new attitude could be seen on their next LP “Rubber Soul” which featured the 4 of them stood against a dark green hedge or bush, referencing their newfound love for all things green. Rubber Soul also featured some of the most introspective songwriting, from Lennon especially, to date. Girl, In My Life and Nowhere Man all talk brashly about Lennon’s opinions regarding the world around him holding no bars. They are songs that if one reads aloud with no musical backing, may find them quite harsh if not very emotionally real poems. 1965 also saw a new substance make its way into the Beatle world. Lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD as it had come to be known was synthesised by a Swiss chemist called 1938. He accidentally consumed the substance when trying to come up with a new medicine using ergot. The Beatles were first introduced to LSD by their dentist of all people. The event is well documented and led them to become very intrigued with the substance influencing their next LP Revolver substantially. Lennon claimed in the 70’s that he dropped acid over 1000 times and this probably speaks for a large amount of his actions in the late 60’s. By this time the boys had become poster boys for the “British Invasion”, which referred to the onslaught of British groups trying to “make” it overseas, and had become secondly bored with the British entertainment industry. They needed away to continue their creative efforts without having to represent the clean cut image they had cultivated over the first half of the decade and on their last trip to the states as a foursome McCartney found a solution. If they couldn’t be the Beatles anymore they’d just have to start a new band within the pre-existing one. They could develop brand new personas and not have to worry about the expectations of the public. Quite a novel solution if you ask me. This line of thinking led to the legendary “Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” album being released in 1966, marketed as the bands departure from touring and transition into a “studio” band, Sgt Peppers still stands today as one of the most influential albums of all time and with good reason. Its lyrical content is as poignant as ever with the band being incredible self referential as to their new found personas and Lennon acknowledging his personal downfalls on songs like “Getting Better” and “A Little Help From My Friends”. It also was recorded at the same time as some of Lennon’s most psychedelic work such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” which despite the latter titled NOT being about LSD both featured abstract themes and taking a leaf out of Dylan’s book, nonsensical almost social meaningful statements like “living is easy with eyes closed” and “No one I think is In My Tree, I mean it must be High or Low”. Peppers also marks the point where George Martin’s contributions to proceedings becomes clear. In this creative time where the boys were moving away from being a live band they were becoming more curious about musical theory. This was Martin’s speciality, being classically trained so whenever Paul or John had an idea that was a little left of field they would consult George Martin and he would break it down how it would work in the context of their contemporary piece. We have Mr Martin to thank for orchestral sections in songs like “A Day In The Life” and the traditional instrumentation on “When I’m Sixty Four”. Undoubtedly this more traditional musical influence juxtaposed against Lennon and McCartney’s developing modern style would form what he know today as “The Beatles Sound” but it would also be indicative of the class separation I spoke of earlier. Martin’s musical background was rather high class so to speak and this can be heard in his contributions to the records themselves. Just listen to Martin’s suite on the Yellow Submarine record to see how his own personal tastes differed to those say of Lennon’s. In fact Lennon’s song writing was becoming more refined, simpler and far reaching in terms of subject matter. The purest emanation of this development could be considered to be “All You Need Is Love. The Beatles had been put in a unique position when it came to the writing of “All You Need Is Love”. The BBC approached them and asked them to write a song for the worlds first ever colour television broadcast and Lennon took the bull by the horns and wrote a very simple tune for the masses. It had to be simple to get the message across, they only had 5 minutes or so and didn’t want to confuse anybody so the simple mantra of “All You Need Is Love” suited the occasion perfectly. This is a good representation of where Lennon’s head was at this point in time and is indicative of where it was going in the years to come. Simple songs with easy to digest, good for the soul messages. Paul on the other hand was developing a more musically advanced style, branching off into a more traditional sound not unlike “When I’m Sixty Four”. This divide would only grow in the coming years and sadly once the gap had become too large, the collaboration would never be the same again. The tipping point for the Beatles could be seen as the death of their long time and beloved manger Brian Epstein, although a quick note before we tackle that. Yoko Ono Yoko Ono was born on the 18th of February 1933 in Tokyo to a wealthy family. Her family moved to the USA when she was very young and she grew up in New York City. It was there she became a conceptual artist, that is to say she came up with concepts and then presented them in an artistic way (I must say it’s quite an out there idea in 2020 let alone the 1960’s). Ono traveled to England in 1966 to be part of an art show put on by an artist called Gustav Metzger. She remained in London and began working with the artist John Cage on a book of musicians lyrics which led her to fall into contact with Paul McCartney. Ono asked for some handwritten lyrics for Cage’s book but McCartney was not into the idea and said that John may be more interested. Yoko comes from a family that are descended from a long line of samurai’s and was taught traditional eastern religion as part of her upbringing (more on that later). Eastern religion was still fairly unknown in the UK and whilst the upper echelons of society were privy to a bit of Crowley or Theosophy material, the majority of the public were unbeknownst to this realm of thinking but Yoko was fairly well versed in esoteric literature by the time she hit the UK. The Beatles too were not unfamiliar with new age works of the time. Aleister Crowley can be seen on the front of Sgt Peppers, Harrison had become besotted with Indian philosophy and even the prim and proper McCartney had admitted to taking LSD, on national television no less! So it’s fair to say the boys had a healthy interest in all aspects of the unknown by the mid 60’s and this can also be seen in their creative works. On November 9th 1966 John Lennon met Yoko Ono for the first time at the Indica Gallery in London and was besotted with her piece “Ceiling Painting / Yes Painting” which comprised of a ladder and a magnifying glass that hung from the ceiling that was to be used once the viewer had climbed the ladder to view the words “Yes” written on the ceiling through the magnifying glass. The optimistic tone of this installation led Lennon to view the rest of the exhibition and ended in the two artists corresponding after the event. It was at the same gallery that John became aquatinted with a gentleman by the name of Yannis Alexis Mardas who would go on to be known as Magic Alex in the Beatles circle. Magic Alex is an infamous character within the Beatles community for a few reasons the first of which we will get to now. In 1964 the Beatles (mainly John) expressed an interest in purchasing a Greek island for the four of them and their entourage to live upon and whilst this never came to be the group in 1967, at the influence of Magic Alex’s father who was well connected with the Greek secret police, did manage to arrange a trip to a small island in Greece and nearly went through with the £90,000 purchase, pulling out at the last second. John meeting Yoko Ono and Magic Alex would come to be known pivotal events in the timeline of The Beatles musical collaborations. On the 27th of August 1967, Brian Epstein passed away from a drug overdose. The band at the time were in Wales at a conference for Transcendental Meditation hosted by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The were accosted by press upon leaving the event and footage from the event shows a group of men blinded by grief and camera flashes. Epstein's contributions to the Beatle image were quintessential and he acted as a sort of ringleader or father so to speak to the group. His passing would significantly change the dynamic of how the group functioned and in Lennon’s own estimations was really the end of the “group” spiritually. The fact they were at a TM conference is synchronous as this loss of a leader figure would in turn find the band looking for a greater meaning to their creative endeavours. It is this transpiring of events that lead the Beatles to take their famous trip to India. In February of 1968 the group headed out to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh in northern India to participate in daily meditation and teachings from the Yogi himself. The groups girlfriends, Magic Alex, Mal Evens, other musicians such as Donovan and Mike Love and many others also attended and the period was highly creative for all involved but not without its turbulence. It was George Harrison that took to the actual practice of meditation with most success with Lennon commenting that Harrison would “leave here on a flying carpet if he wasn’t careful”. Ringo Starr and his wife left after only 10 days citing a disagreement with the food and an aversion to the local insects although remained faithful to the TM practice. Paul left in similar fashion in mid March just in time for the arrival of Magic Alex. John, George and Magic Alex were disheartened with their band mates departures and had started to stray from the Yogi’s intended daily plan, smoking weed, drinking homemade hooch and taking LSD whilst at the ashram. This led to the famous storm out from Lennon and Harrison. The actress Mia Farrow had claimed that the Marahishi had made a pass at her during one of their one on one meditation sessions and John and George were starting to question the intentions of the pint sized guru. The story goes that Magic Alex claimed he saw the Marahishi in a sexual position with a student and after days of insistence this Led Lennon and Harrison to storm down to Marahishi’s private dwelling and announced that they were leaving. To which the Marahishi said “But why?”, to which Lennon said “If you’re so fucking cosmic you should already know”. The group hastily left and after a panic trying to find a taxi to which they ascribed to “The Marahishi’s Curse” they managed to get back to the UK in one piece. As of 2020, multiple parties in attendance at the Ashram say that Magic Alex’s claims were pre-meditated for the purpose of stopping the Marahishi go on to have more influence than him over Lennon and the group in general. These claims are substantiated in large by Alex’s subsequent contributions to the newly founded Apple Corps. Which in fact was the entire purpose of the trip to India in the first place. To fill the gap made by the loss of Brian Epstein. The fruits of their journey would be what we know as “The White Album)” which would be the groups largest effort to date in terms of material with 2 LP’s worth of material being included. This was due to the influx of creativity garnered from the India experience and due each contributing songwriter having more songs than ever due to this influx. With Harrison now worth his salt as a songwriter there was now 3 cooks at the table when it came to album contributions and it shows on The White Album. The result is a musical journey that goes to many different sonic places and this is due to the almost tug of war that was starting to form between the song writing trio. Upon arriving back in the UK, John contacted Yoko and asked if she would like to come over to his place. Cynthia was conveniently on holiday in Greece with Magic Alex and upon Yoko‘s arrival the atmosphere was slightly awkward so John started to show Yoko, a fellow artist, some of his more abstract tape creations that had been vitoed by The Beatles. They began to collaborate and the resulting project was entitled “Two Virgins”. As you can see their collaboration was a fruitful one, physically and emotionally at least, and the resulting fallout from this event would be just the top of the iceberg for what was to come for the Fab Four. The cover actually features a quote from Paul McCartney saying "When two great Saints meet, it is a humbling experience. The long battles to prove he was a Saint." And whilst this is a nice sentiment overall the whole thing didn’t go down too well with the boys in the band. Firstly EMI refused to publish the album due to the cover. Secondly his bandmates were confused to say the least, with Harrison stating over and over "But why? Why did you do it?!". Thirdly, whilst this project was being recorded Cynthia unexpectedly came home early from Greece and found the pair half naked together in her own house. That last point is the main claim that people use to downplay Lennon’s philosophical efforts today and admittedly, the situation could have been handled better on John’s part. But this failure to communicate effectively his emotions to his significant other, from a psychoanalyst’s point of view, would be a symptom of a pre existing emotional issue that John wouldn’t confront for a couple of years yet as we will come to see. The juxtaposition from Cynthia to Yoko really showcases Lennon's almost wicked ability to offset his surroundings at risk of becoming trapped in a philosophical box. This incident can be seen as in the same vein as John lashing out after it being implied he was homosexual at Paul’s 18th and in the same vein as violence towards Cynthia in the early stages of their relationship. It was quite obvious by 1968 that John Lennon had some issues he needed to work out if he was ever going to collaborate with other human beings in any sort of meaningful creative way again. Following the Two Virgins dispute John hit a sort of spiritual rock bottom. The main propagator of LSD and the psychedelic revolution was a man called Timothy Leary who is known for his translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead also known as the Bardo Todol. This compendium of ancient Tibetan knowledge was all the rage during the summer of love and instructed individuals how to go through the psychedelic experience. As this was the first time this material was hitting western audiences certain aspects of the psychedelic experience had not been examined as throughly as it has been in 2020. This meant that an emphasis on the concept of “Ego Death” was postulated as the goal or aim of a trip. Whilst dissolution of the self is one stage of the psychedelic experience it is not the whole or the goal of the any trip and this miss understanding led to many of the “acid” casualties of the 60’s and 70’s. This oversight not only affected generations of carless hippies over the years but did quite a number on our poor Mr Lennon. By 1969 John’s ego, per the account of Mr Derek Taylor, was pretty well cracked into tiny pieces. This was the result of what Lennon claimed in 1980 as “thousands” of experience with LSD over the decade of the 1960’s and it had left him an empty shell of the man he once was. Not having faith in his songwriting ability whilst Paul began to flourish as a multi instrumentalist in his own compositions.) One may also imply that the “macho” bravado that still to this day resides in British culture did nothing to help John’s state of mind. A sort of cynicism exists in the British psyche and is responsible for our trademark brand of sarcastic humour but it also negates the need for empathetic communication especially between members of the same sex and especially in the 1960’s. The idea of being “real” or sharing your actual emotions was and still is to some extent highly stigmatised within the British general public as something possibly a homosexual man many do, certainly not the tough and brawn British brass that frequent our nations public houses at any rate. This pre existing social construct certainly contributed to Lennon’s (and any modern day tripper to some extent, why do you think paranoia is listed as one of the main symptoms of psychedelic substances?) astral breakdown and the entry of Yoko and her foreign customs did not help matters. It took some pep talks by Derek Taylor and Yoko to build John’s ego and confidence back to what it once was, reminding him of which Beatles songs he wrote and pointing out to him that he was an competent, intelligent and articulate musician despite the hearsay of the naysayers. From here the boys move on to what we now know as the “Get Back/Let It Be” era of the Beatles. The general vibe is that due to all the upset and disruption since Epstein’s death the band should try and “Get Back” to the roots that they started out from. Lennon and Harrison were not too fond of the concept which led to daily heated discussion at the Twickenham recording studio where each days session was being filmed by an entire professional camera crew. Watching the Let It Be film combined with an in depth analysis of the recorded sessions show a group of musicians half heartedly trying to appease an audience they long stopped catering for. It’s kind of bittersweet to watch. There are high points like John and Yoko dancing to “I Me Mine, a stellar rendition of “Across The Universe” and the famous rooftop concert all showcase what was left of 4 young men that had scarcely had time over the past decade to check what condition their condition was in so to speak. The resulting album from these sessions being titled “Let It Be” instead of “Get Back” is largely indicative of how the sessions went. Listen to any interview where McCartney discusses the writing of Let It Be, the song, and you will hear him articulate the spiritual burnout the 4 were experiencing during the sessions and how despite his efforts to drive the band back to the success they once had, a dream featuring his descended mother inspired him to indeed, let the whole affair be. This leads us to what is usually considered to be the bands magum opus by the fans, Abbey Road, but a brief look into its inception will show you that it is actually the most hollow Beatles album conceptually due to its purpose. To end the Beatles. Click Here For Part 2
Reposting due to the beloved u/skinkerdoodle taking a moderation break and a shuffle of the staff team :) If you haveANYquestions after finishing this guide, feel free to ask below and I, or someone else experienced, will try and answer the question for you. We also have twodiscord serverdiscord serverwhere you can ask questions and chat! If you're too embarrassed to post, feel free to PM me. I want this to post to be a safe space for beginners to ask questions and learn! The FAQ section may also answer some more "advanced" topics even if you're not a complete beginner. Thinking about getting aleopard gecko? Awesome! They make great pets and owning them is a very rewarding experience. You may be scouring the web and start to think "where the heck do I start"! In this guide I'll be giving detailed advice to prepare you for your first gecko. What to buy before you get a gecko: This is a checklist of everything you need to buy BEFORE purchasing your gecko. It's important to set up before you get your new friend just in case some items, like the heating pad, end up not working. THE ESSENTIALS
Tank (20 Gallon long or equivalent terrarium/tank/tub)
20G long is the accepted standard tank for an adult. You can go bigger but you'll have to provide adequate cover and heat sources. Also that whole "baby geckos can't be in a big tank" thing is completely untrue! You are perfectly fine buying an "end game" tank for your gecko. Babies can still be kept in a 10 gallon tank (if you are currently short on space, etc), but should be moved once they're starting to grow older and larger so that they can be more comfortable. I always recommend to buy your adult tank right off the bat. You'll save more money in the long run. If you're okay waiting for awhile Petco has a 1$ per gallon sale a few times a year. It's a pretty good deal.
Heating Source
Contrary to popular belief, leos can see most colors of light (even red). Albinos are especially sensitive to bright lights. Natural room lighting is acceptable and will not mess up their day/night cycles. Your heating pad should cover 1/3rd of your tank. You want a temperature gradient. I personally use the Zoo Med brand 30-40g size for my 20 gallon long tanks. This goes under the tank. Make sure your tank is slightly raised to provide air flow. You can also use deep heat projects, radiant heat panels, etc to heat your tank. Just keep in mind these will also need to be temp controlled to keep your leopard gecko safe. IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE LOOSE SUBSTRATE (depending on how thick/deep it is) YOU WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO USE OVERHEAD HEATING. This will ensure accurate surface and air temps. YOU CAN USE LOW OUTPUT (5% or less) UVB LIGHTS. Just provide plenty of cover if your leo is albino and watch to make sure they aren't too stressed. They are optional if you are supplementing properly.
Thermostat
Heating sources get HOT. I mean up to 120F unregulated just for heating pads. You need to control the temperature! I personally use this thermostat. You want the floor of the tank to be 90F. Keeping it this temperature will make sure you have a happy, healthy gecko. Lower temps can cause your gecko to not eat and digest properly. This is also a good thermostat.
Substrate
NO CALCI-SAND/COLORED SAND. I cannot stress this enough. These can cause impaction which can lead to death. Good beginner substrate include: Paper towels, mixed naturalistic substrate (play sand + top soil is a good starting base, you can also add in eco earth, clay) mixed with tile (on the hot side works the best) or just plain tile (no linoleum tile and it must be textured). Eco earth by itself is not a good substrate and can get too dusty/dry. Reptile carpet is just a pain to clean and your leopard gecko can get claws and teeth stuck in it. * Three hides (Hot, moist, and cool) You want three hides in your tank. One for the hot side of the tank (positioned over the heating pad). This will be the place your gecko spends most of it's time. Geckos tend to like very secure hides, so you want to have a hide that provides as little visibility as possible. I have found my geckos really like this hide as their hot hide. You can pick out whatever you like though! For the moist hide you want a container that can hold in humidity. This hide is to help aid shedding, so it's of the utmost importance! Many people use tupperware containers with holes cut into it. The smaller the entrance the better, as to keep the humidity in. This hide should be at least partially on the heat mat and have moist paper towel, moss, or eco earth. The cool hide should be on the complete opposite side of the hot hide. Your gecko needs somewhere to escape to if it gets too hot. * Infrared Temp Gun You want to double check your temperatures and make sure they're accurate and an infrared temp gun is the best way to do it! I use this one. * Bowl for calcium/food/water Your leopard gecko needs a source of calcium (without d3) in the tank. They'll lick it up as they need it. This is a key component of warding off MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). Just place it in the tank and leave it be. Refresh it every once in awhile. Food bowl is self explanatory. Water bowl should be near the middle of the tank or the cool side. I recommend buying something similar to this if you want tap water to be reptile safe. * Multivitamin & Calcium (with and without d3) These are essential to a healthy, happy leopard gecko. These are used for dusting food. There are plenty of brands to choose from. Repashy and Zoo Med make both. Either are good! ADDITIONAL * Decor Most up to you! You want the tank to have enough decor that your gecko doesn't feel exposed. Plastic plants are great for this. If you're using craft store plants make sure they do not bleed/rub off dye. File down sharp edges. Places like Petco will match their online prices, sometimes saving you a lot of money. Amazon also had good prices sometimes, so keep an eye out. If you're crafty you can always make your own decor. Just make sure you use reptile safe products. * Leopard Gecko Emergency Kit It should contain: betadine (for sterilizing wounds), neosporin without pain relief, q-tips, olive oil (to aid pooping if your gecko is impacted), coconut oil (to aid shedding), flour or a clotter (to stop bleeding), and tweezers. All of this should cover basic medical emergencies like minor scratches, etc. > [This critter keeper (size depends on how many geckos). Repashy grub pie, extra supplements, uni heat (or reptile) heat packs, a fleece blanket, digital thermometer, heat tape (or maybe a mini size heating pad by zoo med as they can be used with plastic), two bowls. In some cases where you have multiple geckos, create separated areas in a larger fauna box. Credit Sybilestial ! * Plastic container with lid Great for saunas if your gecko is having trouble shedding and for holding your gecko while cleaning the tank! * Tongs If you're iffy about touching insects, this may be the way to go. Plus your gecko may be scared for your hands at first. * Scale This is a good way to track your gecko's weight, especially if they're young. Even for adults getting a base line weight is beneficial. I just use a food scale. Most people measure geckos in grams! I usually weigh everyone once every two weeks. * A Journal/Calendar Might sound a little nuts but keeping track of gecko feedings, last time they shed, etc. will make your life so much easier. I personally record the last time my geckos shed, ate, weights, pooped, etc. I also jot down any notes about their behaviors or any changes to their health. It's good to keep track of these things in case your gecko becomes ill and needs to go to the vet. PICKING OUT YOUR GECKO My personal recommendation is to buy from a reputable breeder or from a breeder at an expo. This generally ensures you are getting a healthy, happy gecko. Buying from a pet store is risky business as many geckos from chain stores carry parasites or have health issues. You could end up paying a hefty vet bill or with a short lived gecko. Unfortunately there are still some shady breeders too. I'll list a few warning signs: * can't answer questions about their geckos (parents, genetics, hatch date, weight, etc) * can't tell you the morph * won't show you pictures of the gecko * improper husbandry * skinny, sickly looking geckos (metabolic bone disease, stick tail, lethargic, etc) There are plenty of places where you can get honest reviews of breeders like the Board of Inquiry on Faunaclassified as well as a few groups on Facebook. Don't always trust facebook reviews as they can be censored! Get an opinion from actual customers. Do research. [Here's another guide I wrote on this subject. I generally do not recommend enigma morph geckos to beginners. This is my personal opinion. There is always a chance your gecko will end up with enigma syndrome somewhere down the line. Enigma syndrome is a neurological disorder tied to the enigma gene. This leads to: balance issues, circling, stargazing, seizures, death rolling, coordination issues, and more. Feeding can become extremely difficult and I consider enigma syndrome geckos a little more advanced care. White and Yellow morphs can also exhibit a similar syndrome but it's much rarer, *as it can be bred out*. It's not tied to the W&Y gene. Lemon frosts, a rather expensive morph, has been known to grow tumors. Their health issues are so severe that many breeders have stopped producing them entirely. I don't think many beginners have 2.5k to drop on a gecko but just in case you were thinking about it, don't! Babies can be much more skittish than adults and a little bit more delicate. If you want something more hearty go for a slightly older gecko! Babies also eat a lot of food so if you're looking to spend a little bit less money an adult is also the way to go. Babies change in color A LOT so if you are looking for a gecko of a certain color an adult is your best bet to get exactly what you want. Leos are able to be temperature sexed and many breeders will label them TSF (temp sex female) or TSM (temp sex male). Keep in mind this is not a 100% guarantee you will get that sex. There is still a chance they will turn out to be the opposite sex. Snows are notorious for having a lower accuracy rate when temp sexed. If you want a guaranteed male or female you will have to buy older. DO NOT PLACE ANY GECKOS TOGETHER! DO NOT COHAB. Geckos are solitary creatures and thrive when housed alone. Keeping geckos together can lead to fighting and serious injuries, and usually ends up stressing the animals out. Behavior that may look cute, like cuddling, are actually signs of aggression and dominance. Here is an example of what happened to a leo that was housed together with another gecko. Don't risk your animals. Here's a great read from one of our sub members 410cs: It's common knowledge that Leos are territorial, regardless of Gender, they're tolerant to a point until they snap. It can be 3 minutes together, it can be 10 years. Eventually they will snap and something like this will happen. It's quite clear that, even if the cause of the break wasn't due to a fight, you need to separate them. Let's go through some of the most basic and obvious reasons why: * Competition for the, poor quality, of food. * It seems like you're feeding those vacuum-packed locusts, or at least some sort of dead variant. These hold next to no nutritional value. * The food there, although dusted, is going to be fought-over and dominated, regardless of if you've ever seen this happen. The girl in the picture is awfully thin, I have no doubts that this is a major factor of this. * 100x Easier for parasites and disease to spread. * They eat, sleep, poop and live in the same area. This is a huge no-no when it comes to a lot of reptiles. Considering some breeders have been wiped out over using the same equipment, (tongs), I'd seriously not be surprised if every Geck in that tank has some sort of parasitical load; either a worryingly large load of Pinworm or ever worse, (Geckos can be crypto-positive even if they're not rapidly losing weight). * The male is going to, eventually, breed with the females. * Sometimes males just don't breed successfully when they're in-season, which might be why you haven't experienced any (Fertile) eggs yet. When they are they act like a dog in heat. The breeding stress is going to be awfully harsh on your females, it's not uncommon for females to die as a result of over breeding. * General dominance over heat, hides, etc. * Are your Geckos sleeping together? Are they "cuddling"? I wouldn't be surprised. You can have them in a 75 Gal with a hundred hides and there still is a chance of them doing this. * It's not a case of if they fight, it's when they fight. * They don't always show warning signs. They can be fine one minute and, before you know it, one won't have a limb. Please, for the sake of the Geckos, house them individually. If they go off of food it's due to change of environment, they don't have the emotional capabilities to miss each other. I don't care if they're in 10Gals for now, just do it. For the sake of your pets. It's borderline animal cruelty. SETTING UP YOUR NEW FRIEND & THE FIRST WEEKS Once you have acquired your gecko and placed it in the tank LEAVE IT ALONE! You should wait at least 5-7 days before handling or messing around with your gecko. Your new friend is scared and adjusting to a big change. It can be tempting, especially as a beginner, but hold off. If you can I would wait until your gecko is eating as well before handling. You want to keep your interaction to a minimum like cleaning up poop, giving your gecko food, etc. Covering the tank with a blanket is also a good way to make your gecko feel safer. Choose a quiet place for the tank. Observe your gecko and make sure it's not exhibiting signs of illness. If your gecko seems lethargic, isn't pooping after eating, bloated, walking irregularly, losing weight rapidly, etc go to the vet! Don't wait! Taking action as soon as possible is the best thing you can do for your gecko. Also watch for your gecko's first shed to make sure they are shedding properly in their new environment. TAMING AND HANDLING Patience is key to taming your new gecko! It can take awhile for them to trust you, especially if they are younger. Adolescent geckos tend to be more skittish. You want to start off by putting your hand in the tank, within sight of your gecko, for at least ten minutes a day. This is to get your gecko used to your hand and scent. Once they seem a bit more receptive (walking around, licking your hand, looking curious) you can start to try picking them up. Always scoop up your gecko from below, working your hand underneath their stomach and supporting their legs. Grabbing from above triggers their prey instinct and will scare them. Hold them over the tank at first, in case they leap or skitter off your hand, to prevent injury! Once they seem calm in your hands, then you can start taking them away from the tank. Hand feeding is also a good way to bond with your gecko and make sure they associate your hand with positive things (aka food). Congrats! You tamed your gecko! FEEDING Feeding is a subject I see a ton of topics about in the subreddit so let's go over the basics! Acceptable feeders include: * Mealworms (can be kept in oats/bran meal in the fridge) * Superworms (can be kept in oats/bran meal DO NOT REFRIGERATE) * Crickets (kept in normal container, DO NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE TANK THEY WILL BITE YOUR LEO) * Dubia Roaches (kept in normal containetank/whatever) * Hornworms (Treat, optional, fed once a week, 1 worm) * Waxworms (Treat, optional, fed **rarely**, only 1-2) * Butterworms (Treat, optional, fed once a week or less, 1-2) * Here's a nutritional feeder insect chart Remember, variety is good for your gecko. Do not over feed treat foods! They should be a rare occurrence and you should only feed 1-2 per week or less, especially for waxworms (which can be addictive). Do not feed treat foods to sick geckos, very young geckos, or picky eaters. Only feed treat foods to healthy geckos who are eating regularly. Feel free to mix and match feeders! GUT LOAD YOUR FEEDERS. Gut loading is feeding your insects prior to feeding them to your gecko. Carrots, lettuce, etc should be fed 12 hours ahead of time. You want to give them time to eat the veggies or fruit. I usually feed them once a week besides gut loading to make sure they get the moisture they need from the food. Dusting is also another key part of feeding. Make sure the insects are lightly dusted with calcium or multivitamin. Babies should eat every day, as much as they can eat in 15 minutes. "Teen" geckos (6-9 months) should be eating every other day. Usually teen geckos will decide this for themselves and start refusing food every day. Adults (1 year and over) should eat every 2-3 (or longer) days depending on weight. FAQ MY GECKO HAS STUCK SHED/IS HAVING PROBLEMS SHEDDING AHHHH First of all, DON'T PANIC! Stuck shed happens. The easiest way to loosen up stuck shed is a gecko sauna! Take your plastic container and fill it with paper towels, soaked in warm water. Place your gecko in the container for 10-15 minutes. Then you can attempt to rub the stuck shed off with the q-tip from the gecko first aid kit. Be gentle but persistent. Your gecko may get a bit upset but this is okay. Stuck shed can lead to lost toes, tail tips, and other various problems. A little bit of stress is better than losing a toe! If this still doesn't work you can use a bit of coconut oil on the tip of a q-tip and gently rub the shed skin with it. MY NEW GECKO ISN'T EATING AHH New geckos are stressed out and this can lead to them not eating, so be patient and wait. Sometimes it can take over a week and even then they may still eat a bit irregularly for awhile. If your gecko seems lethargic, sickly, or is rapidly losing weight while also not eating, a vet visit is in order. Try to find a reptile vet. *ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK YOUR TEMPERATURES!* Low or irregular temperatures can cause a gecko to not eat. Geckos may also delay eating if they are about to shed or have just shed. Female leopard geckos can also go off food if they are ovulating (producing eggs). Look for white oval shapes in your gecko's lower stomach. Here is an image. All you can do is wait it out until the female eats again. Males may also go off food during breeding season. If you change around your gecko's tank or move their tank to a new location this can also cause them to get stressed and stop eating. Consider any small (or large) changes you've made to your gecko's environment when trying to figure out why your gecko won't eat. My gecko just threw up its food! What's wrong with it? Sometimes geckos regurgitate food when they've eaten too much too fast. Low temperatures can also lead to regurgitation. Check your temperatures and make sure your heating pad is working properly. Parasites can also cause geckos to throw up their food. If you suspect parasites, call a vet. Do albino leopard geckos have any special care? Their eyes are very sensitive. They may not like bright light at all or require more cover in their tank to protect their eyes. Other than that they are normal geckos. It's cold where I live and I can't maintain the necessary temperature. What can I do? You can buy a ceramic heat emitter. This is a bulb you put into a lamp that gives off no light but produces heat. You can hook this up to a dimmer to control the temperature or another thermostat. I've found a 45w or a 60w does the job pretty well. It should boost your temps up to an acceptable level. What should my tank look like? What are some examples? Here are some examples: [1](https://i.imgur.com/JDpedEy.jpg), [2](https://i.imgur.com/1NUjJ1z.jpg), [3](https://i.imgur.com/WUxiXaD.jpg), [4](https://i.imgur.com/UL7C9i7.jpg) I have other reptiles blah blah QUARANTINE YOUR GECKO! Quarantining for 60-90 days is the preferable option, especially if your gecko is showing any signs of sickness. Use separate tools, etc. If you purchase another gecko don't switch around decor between the tanks, etc. Be safe and save yourself a possible heartache and cash. My female is ovulating. What do I do? Look for white oval shapes in your gecko's lower stomach. If your female has eggs you can make a lay box. A closed container with eco earth will do. If she lays them, they will most likely be infertile and can be thrown away. Leopard geckos can lay many eggs during breeding season. Make sure you're supplementing a bit extra, as egg laying is quite taxing. Leopard geckos can also reabsorb their eggs. Females can ovulate pretty early (think 8 months or so) depending how large they are. My leopard gecko is waving/shaking it's tail! Tail waving means your gecko is scared and you should leave them alone. Tail shaking is pretty common when hunting and just means they're excited. Loud tail rattling is a sign a male wants to breed. Is my leopard gecko a boy or a girl? See this [image]. Males will have visible pores and two hemipenes at the base of their tail in comparison to females. Leopard geckos can usually be sexed around 4 months of age, though males may take longer to mature. At 5-6 months you should be able to tell for yourself. Place the gecko in a clear, plastic container and take a look! My leopard gecko won't eat from a bowl! Some geckos don't like bowls. They like the hunt! You may have to tong/hand feed. You can try starving them out until they eat from the bowl, if you're really adamant about it. Or as sybilestial suggests: >If the geckos aren't eating from bowls, try clear ones. You can find a set of clear candle holders (that do not come with a candle) at dollar stores. How long can my gecko be left alone? Most adults can be left a few days since their feeding schedules are spread out. Babies will need someone to watch them if you need to go somewhere, as they need to eat every day. If you can get your baby to eat out of a bowl, you can probably leave them as well. If your gecko is about to shed or looks dull, make sure you thoroughly dampen the moist hide. I never seen my gecko! Why? Leopard geckos nocturnal/crepuscular. They come out at night. You may not see your gecko out during the day at all. Don't worry, this is normal. My power went out what do I do?! There are reptile specific warmers, usually used for shipping, that you can buy and use as well. They come in different hour intervals like 40, 72, etc. Make sure you follow the instructions! If you live in an area that is hit by storms and loses power often, be PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME! If you live somewhere relatively warm year round, your gecko will be okay without heat for a day or two. Just make sure you don't feed them during this time. What should my tank's humidity be? 40%! If your humidity gets too high I suggest a dehumidifier for the room your leo is in. If your water bowl is large, switch it for a smaller one. Don't put the water bowl on the hot side. Putting a sock filled with rice into the tank can help a little bit too. My gecko looks pale. IS IT DYING?? No, it's just about to shed! Leopard geckos usually shed once every 2-3 weeks. In the days beforehand they'll get very dull looking. The day of they usually turn white. Shedding usually takes a day or so. Make sure you keep your moist hide damp! Leopard geckos eat their shed as they're peeling it off themselves so don't be alarmed if you don't find anything afterwards What is MBD? You mention that a lot. MBD is Metabolic Bone Disease. This happens in geckos who are not supplemented properly with calcium and multivitamins. Here is a good article about it. Proper supplementation is important! My gecko is sick what do I do? Find a reptile vet (there's a vet link in the sidebar)! In order to ensure your reptile gets the best care possible you should always use a vet experienced in reptiles. I recommend you find one ahead of time near your area. And, as always, have a decent amount of cash tucked away somewhere in case your reptile gets sick. Exotic vet care is expensive and you never know when an emergency will pop up. Where can I find pictures that illustrate the conditions and sicknesses you talk about? Lizardbeans on tumblr has a great guide as well, with a bunch of pictures of different leopard gecko conditions. How do I use Betadine? If my gecko gets a minor injury what should I do? Let's say your gecko manages to hurt it's toe. It's bleeding a little bit but otherwise it looks pretty minor.
Soak the reptile in warmish chest deep water to which Betadine (povidone-iodine) has been added to color the water to a deep medium tea color. Leave in the tub for 15-20 minutes, refreshing the warm water and Betadine as necessary. If the wound is swollen and crusty, carefully pick off the scab/crusty exudates. Note that if the reptile defecates in the tub, it must be washed out, disinfected and another Betadine soak set up. Flush the wound area with fresh water before being placed back in the new bath.
Remove the reptile from the tub and flush the wound with fresh dilute Betadine.
At night, top the wound with triple antibiotic ointment (original ointment, pain relief free). Repeat for a week or until the wound is healing over.
If there is any sign of swelling which occurs after the bathing and treatment or such swelling does not abate after a week, the animal must be seen by an experienced reptile vet.
I have found antibiotic ointment works wonders for small wounds. Nose bumps/scrapes, etc! My gecko can't seem to shed properly. There's always stuck shed. What's the deal? First off, make sure they're using their moist hide right. Make sure you spray it consistently, especially when they start to get dull in color preparing to shed. Keep the moist hide half on, half on the heating pad at the very least. Hot and humid is far better than cold and humid when it comes to shedding! Also make sure you are supplementing your leopard gecko properly with multivitamins. As stated by BovieVei her gecko had problems shedding due to a Vitamin A deficiency! >Repeated bad sheds can also be attributed to vitamin a deficiency. My Leo recently had to go to the vet for it and got a vitamin a booster shot and it was so weird last time he shed because the skin came right off where he got the injection before anywhere else. (the rest of the shed was much better than usual too). Either way you need to get this poor baby to a vet. >Vitamin a deficiency can include lethargy and reduced appetite, bad sheds, lizard smegma (ew), and eye ulcers. So keep up those vitamins, folks! My gecko is big... is it a giant/super giant? Most likely? No, it is not. If it is not labeled as a giant/super giant or is from a pet store those chances are even lower. Giants are only giants if they hold the giant gene (which is specifically bred for and highly desired). Otherwise you just have yourself a large, impressive gecko which is pretty awesome anyway! Here's a good article written by member Professional_Gecko. What morph is my pet store/whatever gecko? Without genetics we can only give you a guess, especially with albinos. Albino strains are impossible to 100% positively identify through just looking at them. My gecko's eyes are different from a normal gecko's eyes? Leopard geckos have many different eye types other than the standard grey on normals. There's [full eclipse eyes](https://i.imgur.com/VBnqmv8.jpg), which are pure black, commonly seen on [super snows](https://i.imgur.com/rNI3fdJ.jpg), galaxies, and other eclipse morphs. Pure red eyes, commonly seen on morphs like [Raptors](https://i.imgur.com/0uxvGOH.jpg), [Radars](https://i.imgur.com/6sII6ur.jpg), and other albinos. There's [snake eyes](https://i.imgur.com/SeFd6JF.jpg) which are a variant of the eclipse eyes but they are eyes which have some solid pigment but are not completely solid. There's also [brown-reddish eyes](https://i.imgur.com/I0WAREx.jpg) that are common with enigmas. The albino strains (Tremper, Bell, Rainwater) have a wide variety of eye colors. What kinds of albinos are there? Tremper is the most popular albino strain. It is abundant compared to Bell and Rainwater (also sometimes called Las Vegas). Bells and Rainwaters tend to be more pricey because of this. Many have albino strain specific morphs. Raptors are Tremper specific while Radars are Bell specific. Firewaters are a Rainwater specific morph. Can I breed my two pet store geckos? I wouldn't recommend it. Mixing unknown genetics can be a risky business as there's so many genes you shouldn't cross. Gem, tug, and mack snows should never be crossed. Certain eye types should not be crossed. Albino genes cannot be crossed. Plus you don't know what other hets (genes) the gecko is carrying as they don't exhibit this outwardly. Not to mention selling the babies will be much harder (and you're going to have a ton of them. If you are going to breed, do it right by buying to geckos with known genetics!
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