The Ratigator is a recurring character from the live action segments of DiC Entertainment's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! from 1989. The Ratigator is a large mutated creature that appears to be a cross between a rat and an alligator and lives in the sewer system of Flatbush, Brooklyn. Though he does not actively live with them like Edison, the Ratigator is great friends with Mario Mario and Luigi Mario, and often appears to them through the manhole present in their wall. Oddly, the Ratigator also seems to act as a sort of pet to the two brothers, as Mario is known to take him for walks on a leash (or "crawls", as he describes them).
The Ratigator's body is never seen, as only its head appears from the sewer grating. Judging from its head however, the Ratigator appears to be a large green alligator-like creature. It possesses two large ears reminiscent of those on a rat's head, a long snout, and several spiked teeth. The bottom of its jaw, and presumably its stomach area, is a pink colour. Though difficult to see, its body appears to be somewhat furry (or hairy), and may more closely resemble that of a rat's torso than an alligator's.
The Ratigator makes an appearance as a playable character in Jake's Super Mario Kart, marking not only his first appearance since The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode Tutti Frutti, Oh Mario but also his first appearance in a video game. The Ratigator returns alongside Edison, another recurring character from the same television program, and the two are paired together in single-player Double Dash Grand Prix races.
Trivia[]
Despite explicitly being described as a cross between a rat and an alligator, the Ratigator's pointed snout is more similar to that of a crocodile.
Ratigator seems to dislike the French language, as Luigi warns Mario to watch his language after saying "je ne sais pas".
