He looks like a little puffball with legs. Strutting through the streets of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, a striking little raccoon has been lovingly bestowed the name of “Jimothy.” Videos across social media platforms have sparked interest in the adorable little guy and how he developed his uniquely endearing shape. Experts believe that Jimothy was born with a rare congenital condition known as short spine syndrome. Fortunately, the unusually round raccoon appears to be thriving in his environment.
Seattle resident Kiana Hall shared a video of little Jimothy trotting across the grass to social media. The video now has 7.6 million views on Instagram and features Hall’s perplexed voice asking, “What am I looking at?” According to the Seattle Times, Hall said, “He looked like a Jimothy.” Since the short clip was shared days ago, Jimothy has grown from a local legend to a national sweetheart.
Jimothy has been referred to as an honorary cryptid — which is a title given to certain mythical creatures discussed by cryptozoologists, like Sasquatch or Mothman — and even has his own page on Cryptid Wiki. However, his appearance is presumably the result of a known medical phenomenon. Although Jimothy has not had a visit to the veterinarian, experts assume that he has short spine syndrome, which is an incredibly rare hereditary disorder. While it has been observed in raccoons, foxes, and coyotes, most documented occurrences are in dogs. Even then, there are only roughly 30 recorded cases in dogs.
Jimothy’s origin story
Researchers still debate the cause of short spine syndrome, with some suggesting that inbreeding plays a role. Generally, during the fetal development of vertebrates, vertebrae are cartilaginous and harden to bone, which is a process known as ossification. In the case of short spine syndrome, the vertebrae do not develop properly, leaving them in their softer cartilage stage. The more pliable vertebrae end up squishing together as the animal develops, making the spine appear much shorter, as the syndrome’s title indicates. Like many with this condition, Jimothy seems to exist without a neck…