MacGyver the Lizard

Last updated
MacGyver the Lizard
MacGyver the Lizard.jpg
Species Argentine red tegu
SexMale
HatchedMacGyver
(2012-07-04) July 4, 2012 (age 12) [1]
Punta Gorda, Florida, U.S.
Nation fromAmerican
Occupation Internet celebrity
Known for
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • $MAGAIBA
Weight7.5 kg (17 lb)
Named after MacGyver [2]
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2012–present
Subscribers51.7 thousand [3]
Total views6.9 million [3]
Last updated: June 14, 2021
Official website

MacGyver the Lizard (hatched July 4, 2012) [1] is a red tegu lizard and Internet celebrity known for his intelligence, [4] friendly personality, [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] and large jowls. [9] MacGyver has been described as "a good ambassador of the giant lizard world" for his docile and apparently affectionate behavior. [5]

Contents

Background

MacGyver was hatched at Ty Park's lizard farm in Punta Gorda, Florida, on July 4, 2012. [11] 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. [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. [12] He is also regularly seen eating his favorite foods: salmon, eggs, cherries, and grapes, [5] [11] as well as cuddling with his owners. [8]

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, [5] [8] 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. [8] In July 2016, a fan meetup with MacGyver was held at the San Diego Reptile Supershow. [2] [11]

In 2024, MacGyver's cultural influence extended beyond internet fame when he became the inspiration for a cryptocurrency named $MAGAIBA . Created as a memecoin by the hosts of the "Círculo Vicioso" podcast, $MAGAIBA quickly gained popularity on the Solana blockchain. The coin's name is derived from the way MacGyver's name was pronounced in a viral 2017 video. Despite its humorous origins, $MAGAIBA reached an all-time high market capitalization of $20 million at $0.02 per coin, capturing the interest of the crypto community. [13]

International media coverage

MacGyver has received international coverage from a variety of publications such as Vice Media, [6] BuzzFeed, [8] Business Insider , [14] the New York Post , [15] Rare , [9] The Daily Telegraph , [7] Stern , [16] and as far away as China Times [17] and Okezone.com. [18]

On September 7, 2016, AJ+ released a two-minute video about MacGyver and his owners, receiving millions of views on Facebook. [19] 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. [20]

Television appearances

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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). "華女寵物網絡蟲蚎 擁百萬粉絲". World Journal. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "About MacGyver the Lizard". YouTube.
  4. ↑ Bender, Kelli (December 7, 2016). "MacGyver the Giant Lizard Is the Oddest 'Dog' You'll Ever Meet". People . People . Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  5. 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.
  6. 1 2 Bess, Gabby (June 10, 2016). "What It's Like to Live with a Famous Giant Lizard". Vice Media . Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  7. 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.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Krishna, Rachael (1 June 2016). "This Giant Famous Argentinian Lizard Is Relatable AF". London: BuzzFeed . Retrieved August 3, 2016.
  9. 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 . Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  10. ↑ Brennan, Sophie (Jun 1, 2016). "This Woman is BFF's with her Gigantic Pet Lizard". FuzzFix.com. Retrieved August 4, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. 1 2 3 "About Me" . Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  12. ↑ "MacGyver Comes When Called - YouTube". YouTube . Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "MAGAIBA Official Website" . Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  14. ↑ Christian, Emily (December 1, 2016). "Meet MacGyver, the loveable giant lizard". Business Insider . Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ "This gigantic lizard steals the covers and eats with chopsticks". New York Post . December 2, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Die Riesenechse in meinem Bett: ein Reptil zum Kuscheln". Stern . September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  17. ↑ 蕭, 義正 (April 21, 2016). "龍大又兇猛的巨螂 竟被她養的像乖寶寶一樣！". China Times . Archived from the original on July 28, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  18. ↑ Dharma, Silviana (June 2, 2016). "Wanita Karier Bersahabat dengan Kadal Raksasa". Okezone.com. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  19. ↑ "The Lizard And His Lady". AJ+. September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ Wolfe, Sean (September 11, 2016). "Cold-blooded MacGyver warms hearts". The Post . Athens, Ohio. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Taegu lizards becoming emerging invasive species". wpbf.com. October 9, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Hungry Animals Enjoy Fancy Treats from People". Right This Minute . September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Giant pet lizard has become a viral sensation for San Diegan couple". 10news.com. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
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