Racoonigator - [Fearsome Critter]

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Racoonigator - [Fearsome Critter | Cryptid] - aka 'Coonigator'

• About this Critter: a hybrid of a Raccoon & an Alligator Rather small and varmint-like, often said to be seen rooting through trash in Montpelier, Vermont, Texas. From a distance it looks like a regular ol' raccoon until it turns around, revealing a horribly toothy grin.

• History: not much was ever written about the 'coonigator' prior to the “The Monster Spotters Guide to North America" – [ Francis Scott July, 2007] - The book refers to them briefly as such along with an illustration:

“Not much is known about these strange animals. According to reports they look like something out of the movie ‘Critters,’ resembling raccoon in both appearance and behaviour, except that they have fearsome alligator‑like faces.”

...There are no other accounts of this critter to be found in earlier literature (at least that I can find.) so, perhaps it's something the author heard of firsthand. - (He also used “fearsome” & “critters” in the same sentence, perhaps a joke referring to folkloric fearsome critters.)

Most scientists know for a fact that cross-breeding between mammals and reptiles is biologically impossible: so it's most often theorized to be more than likely the result of people mistaking a raccoon, for an opossum & their long snout for that of a 'gators.

By those standards & because of the uncertainty surrounding this creature's origins I'd categorize this as a 'Fearsome Critter' rather than as a "cryptid" proper. - One should also note that there are plenty of 'gator-animal hybrids to be found in rogue taxidermy, such as the “Bassigator” & the “Crocidog” these fall under the 'critters' umbrella as well.

/Edit 2024:/ After years of researching the subject, at this point feels worth note that there seems to be a folkloric subset of modern 'Critters', that are usually run of the mill varmints that startle people who are taking out in the trash: Such biologically improbable "Trashbin-Chimeras™" are usually created in an attempt at creating humorous folklore or are otherwise a simple case of mistaken identity. - A couple others which fall into this category include the the Kentucky "Girraffe-Possom", as well as the Texan "Skunkadillo", of course you could also extend his phenomena and say that it goes back as far as the Jackalope, Cooncat & others too. - I suppose If there's a 'monster under the stairs' in every house, then there's definitely a similar phenomena & anxiety when taking out the trash at night, what people might describe or embellish may vary depending on where they live.

sticker art by samkalensky part of my fearsome critters and cryptids collection of stickers, check my shop and follow for many more!