MacGyver the Lizard

MacGyver the Lizard

MacGyver the Lizard's social media avatar
Species Argentine Red Tegu
Sex Male
Hatched MacGyver
(2012-07-04) July 4, 2012[1]
Punta Gorda, Florida
Nation from U.S.
Occupation Internet celebrity
Known for YouTube, Instagram, Facebook
Weight 7.5 kg
Named after MacGyver[2]

YouTube information

Channel MacGyverLizard
Years active 2012 - Present
Total views 4.2M
(Sep. 2016)
Official website

MacGyver the Lizard (hatched July 4, 2012)[1] is an Argentine Red Tegu and Internet celebrity known for his intelligence, friendly personality,[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] and large jowls.[8] He has been described as "a good ambassador of the giant lizard world" for demonstrating that reptiles can be affectionate and have feelings too.[3]

Background

MacGyver was hatched at Ty Park’s lizard farm in Punta Gorda, Florida, on July 4, 2012.[10] He became an Internet sensation later that year when his first viral video, a montage short clips, appeared on YouTube and received hundreds of thousands of views in the time span of a few weeks.[1] Since the age of three weeks, he has starred in numerous videos in which he appears to come when his owners call his name.[11] He is also regularly seen eating his favorite foods: salmon, eggs, cherries, and grapes,[3][10] as well as cuddling with his owners.[7]

Fandom

Fan-created portrait of MacGyver

MacGyver's videos have received tens of millions of combined video views across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. As a result, he has amassed a social media following in the hundreds of thousands since first appearing on YouTube in 2012,[3][7] and inspired a fan art hashtag on Instagram that contains pencil sketches, watercolor paintings, photoshops, and various other fan-created works depicting the large red lizard.[7] In July 2016, a fan meetup with MacGyver was held at the San Diego Reptile Supershow.[10][2]

International media coverage

MacGyver has received international coverage from a variety of publications such as Vice Media,[4] BuzzFeed,[7] Business Insider,[12] Rare,[8] The Daily Telegraph,[6] Daily Mail,[5] Stern,[13] and as far away as China Times[14] and Okezone.[15]

On September 7, 2016, AJ+ released a two minute video about MacGyver and his owners, receiving millions of views on Facebook.[16]

On September 11, 2016 The Post featured MacGyver for their weekly Pet Instagram Review, celebrating the first time an ectothermic animal was featured for the segment.[17]

Television appearances

Snoop Dogg exchange

In August 2016, rapper Snoop Dogg posted a remixed video[20] of MacGyver to his Instagram account which poked fun at him and his owners. MacGyver’s owners responded on Facebook joking that “It appears that Snoop Dogg is trying to get even with me for illegally downloading Gin and Juice over 15 years ago – talk about a grudge.”[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Virata, John (April 15, 2016). "Meet MacGyver The Red Tegu Who Acts Like a Dog With Scales". Petcha.com. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  2. 1 2 李, 雪 (November 27, 2016). "華女寵物網紅蜥蜴 擁百萬粉絲". World Journal. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cotroneo, Christian (April 19, 2016). "Giant Lizard's Favorite Thing To Do Is Cuddle With His Mom". TheDodo.com. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Bess, Gabby (Jun 10, 2016). "What It's Like to Live with a Famous Giant Lizard". Vice Media. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Boyle, Darren (21 April 2016). "MacGyver the smart red tegu lizard has 33,000 YouTube followers". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Horton, Helena (1 Jun 2016). "This woman and her giant pet lizard are best friends – and an internet sensation". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Krishna, Rachael (1 Jun 2016). "This Giant Famous Argentinian Lizard Is Relatable AF". BuzzFeed. London. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 Grose, Lauren (Jun 10, 2016). "You've never seen a pet like this before — it's a lizard, but it acts like a dog". Rare. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ Brennan, Sophie (Jun 1, 2016). "THIS WOMAN IS BFF'S WITH HER GIGANTIC PET LIZARD". FuzzFix.com. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 http://www.macgyverthelizard.com/about
  11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVRiTop6e_7GAKmN2dcJdXc2aonFZSHrS
  12. ↑ Christian, Emily (December 1, 2016). "Meet MacGyver, the loveable giant lizard". Business Insider. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Die Riesenechse in meinem Bett: ein Reptil zum Kuscheln". Stern. September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  14. ↑ 蕭, 義正 (April 21, 2016). "龐大又兇猛的巨蜥 竟被她養的像乖寶寶一樣！". ChinaTimes.com. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  15. ↑ Dharma, Silviana (June 2, 2016). "Wanita Karier Bersahabat dengan Kadal Raksasa". Okezone.com. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Lizard And His Lady". AJ+. September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  17. ↑ Wolfe, Sean (September 11, 2016). "Cold-blooded MacGyver warms hearts". The Post. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Taegu lizards becoming emerging invasive species". wpbf.com. October 9, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Hungry Animals Enjoy Fancy Treats from People". Right This Minute. September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BI_iGneBE7k/?taken-by=snoopdogg
  21. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/MacGyverLizard/photos/a.211555142313695.54517.211549348980941/840820442720492/?type=3&theater

External links

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