MacGyver the Lizard explained
MacGyver the Lizard (hatched July 4, 2012) is a red tegu lizard and Internet celebrity known for his intelligence,[3] friendly personality,[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] and large jowls. MacGyver has been described as "a good ambassador of the giant lizard world" for his docile and apparently affectionate behavior.
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 of short clips, appeared on YouTube and received hundreds of thousands of views in the time span of a few weeks. 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, as well as cuddling with his owners.
Fandom
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, 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. In July 2016, a fan meetup with MacGyver was held at the San Diego Reptile Supershow.
International media coverage
MacGyver has received international coverage from a variety of publications such as Vice Media, BuzzFeed, Business Insider,[12] the New York Post,[13] Rare, The Daily Telegraph, Stern,[14] and as far away as China Times[15] and Okezone.com.[16]
On September 7, 2016, AJ+ released a two-minute video about MacGyver and his owners, receiving millions of views on Facebook.[17]
On September 11, 2016 The Post featured MacGyver for their weekly Pet Instagram Review, making him the first reptile to be featured for the segment.[18]
Television appearances
Snoop Dogg exchange
In August 2016, rapper Snoop Dogg posted a remixed video[22] 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.”[23]
Notes and References
- Web site: Meet MacGyver The Red Tegu Who Acts Like a Dog With Scales . Petcha.com . April 15, 2016 . August 3, 2016 . John . Virata.
- News: 華女寵物網紅蜥蜴 擁百萬粉絲 . . November 27, 2016 . November 30, 2016 . 雪 . 李 . December 2, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161202000928/http://www.worldjournal.com/4583017/ . dead .
- Bender . Kelli . December 7, 2016 . MacGyver the Giant Lizard Is the Oddest 'Dog' You'll Ever Meet . . . December 7, 2016 .
- News: Giant Lizard's Favorite Thing to Do Is Cuddle with His Mom . TheDodo.com . April 19, 2016 . August 3, 2016 . Christian . Cotroneo.
- News: What It's Like to Live with a Famous Giant Lizard . . June 10, 2016 . August 3, 2016 . Gabby . Bess.
- News: This woman and her giant pet lizard are best friends – and an internet sensation . . 1 Jun 2016 . August 3, 2016 . London . Helena . Horton.
- News: This Giant Famous Argentinian Lizard Is Relatable AF . . 1 June 2016 . August 3, 2016 . London . Rachael . Krishna.
- News: You've never seen a pet like this before – it's a lizard, but it acts like a dog . . Jun 10, 2016 . August 4, 2016 . Lauren . Grose . August 17, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160817030454/http://rare.us/story/youve-never-seen-a-pet-like-this-before-its-a-lizard-but-it-acts-like-a-dog/ . dead .
- Web site: This Woman is BFF's with her Gigantic Pet Lizard . Jun 1, 2016 . August 4, 2016 . FuzzFix.com . Sophie . Brennan .
- Web site: About Me. 17 April 2017.
- Web site: MacGyver Comes When Called - YouTube. . 17 April 2017.
- News: Meet MacGyver, the loveable giant lizard . . December 1, 2016 . December 1, 2016 . Emily . Christian.
- News: This gigantic lizard steals the covers and eats with chopsticks . . December 2, 2016 . December 7, 2016.
- News: Die Riesenechse in meinem Bett: ein Reptil zum Kuscheln . . September 14, 2016 . September 16, 2016.
- News: 龐大又兇猛的巨蜥 竟被她養的像乖寶寶一樣! . . April 21, 2016 . August 10, 2016 . 義正 . 蕭 . July 28, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160728215637/http://tube.chinatimes.com/20160421004341-261411 . dead .
- News: Wanita Karier Bersahabat dengan Kadal Raksasa . Okezone.com . June 2, 2016 . August 6, 2016 . Silviana . Dharma.
- News: The Lizard And His Lady . . September 7, 2016 . September 9, 2016.
- News: Cold-blooded MacGyver warms hearts . . Athens, Ohio . September 11, 2016 . September 16, 2016 . Sean . Wolfe.
- News: Taegu lizards becoming emerging invasive species . wpbf.com . October 9, 2013 . September 9, 2016.
- Hungry Animals Enjoy Fancy Treats from People . . September 9, 2016 . September 9, 2016.
- News: Giant pet lizard has become a viral sensation for San Diegan couple . 10news.com . December 6, 2016 . December 6, 2016.
- Web site: Instagram post by @snoopdogg • Aug 12, 2016 at 2:57am UTC. https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BI_iGneBE7k . 2021-12-26 . registration. 17 April 2017.
- Web site: MacGyver the Lizard. . 17 April 2017.