The internet was wholeheartedly shooketh at the start of this week, when footage started to circulate of what appeared to be a sweet li’l rattie taking a shower just like a tiny man!!!
eu to sóbrio de mais pra ta vendo um rato tomando banho pic.twitter.com/xcyEFiSDEB
— Dot (@Accjustsold) January 28, 2018
Look at him! Just havin’ a wash in a sink! Going about his morning routine!
But are we allowed to innocently enjoy the dear ratto taking a shower? Obviously no, it’s 2018 and nothing is pure or sacred.
Because that’s no rat, my friends. That’s a pacarana, one of the world’s largest rodents.
I just found out the shower rat is way bigger than I expected it to be and now i’m even more uncomfortable than before pic.twitter.com/9d0iD4gE0Z
— mariah (@mtyIer) February 1, 2018
ARGH.
And if you’re wondering, yep, they really do wash themselves like that in the wild. Observe:
The sad thing is (because obviously there must be a sad thing, as once again it is 2018 and nothing gold can stay untarnished for even a moment), the little bloke in the sink was probably not stoked about having soap all over him. Pacaranas have very sensitive skin, and shampoo is pretty irritating to them – so he was less showering, and more desperately trying to get that annoying shit off of him.
People are possibly even more shook about the fact that it’s not a rat than they were about the showering rat in the first place.
— Panda funky (@Cristianreyessl) February 1, 2018
i just learned that this is not a rat showering. it’s actually a pacarana and someone covered it in soap and the little guy is desperately trying to get it off and now i’m really sad https://t.co/vX8GKCD8BH
— kendra rich (@kendra_rich) February 1, 2018
Just so y’all know, that giant showering rodent is a pacarana from Peru and it rubbing it’s body to get the soap off is a sign of distress.
— . (@living_dead_mom) February 3, 2018
Sorry for giggling at your soapy discomfort, my pacarana pal 🙁
Pacaranas are super rare and only live in Peru, so on the off-chance that you see one, please leave it be – no matter how badly you want to see a little rat-man perform his ablutions for your merriment.
