How Often Do Snakes, Rats and Spiders Actually Crawl up Your Toilet Pipes? (and How to Stop Them)
When it comes to terrible things that can happen to you, death from heart disease is much more likely than a snake crawling out of your toilet, but a snake is scarier anyway. It doesn’t make sense, but the beast crawling out of the sewers while you’re minding your own business is simply wrong . But don’t worry. It’s unlikely to happen, it’s easy to prevent, and even if some creature does appear in the pipes of your house, the worst thing that can happen is probably a fright.
Can snakes crawl out of your toilet?
Snakes love tight, dark places, and their long, slender bodies can crawl through most plumbing, so a snake can definitely slip through your pipes while you’re on the toilet, but do they want to? Most snakes don’t.
Sewers are not the best environment for snakes – it’s cold there, and snakes love warmth. Don’t get me wrong, snakes still swim into toilets from time to time, as you can see in this terrifying video of a three-foot snake that a guy found in his toilet.
They may not be likely to swim into your pipes, but snakes can get into your toilet in other ways. There are reports from around the world of snakes found in toilets, including one at Starbucks , this 10-foot python that was found in an Australian toilet, and this case from Israel where a toilet snake actually bit a man’s penis .
Can rats crawl out of the toilet?
There are also rats: the animal world champions of toilet swimming. Rats often enter sewer systems through cracked pipes or manhole covers, and because they are dirty, they enjoy living there, especially in combined sewer systems . They need food and aren’t too proud to feast on undigested human feces or any food you flush down the toilet (because humans apparently do).
Rats can walk on water for three days. They can hold their breath for up to three minutes and have hinged ribs that allow them to pass through quarter-sized holes. You’re probably aware of rats’ ability to navigate through mazes, so a network of pipes leading from their sewer lairs to your toilet won’t be a problem.
If you’re equally fascinated and terrified of rats like me, this video from National Geographic shows exactly how rats swim through pipes. Fun note: While it’s still rare to find a rat in your trash can, “more rats in the toilets” has been one of the many unintended consequences of the COVID lockdown.
Can spiders crawl out of your toilet?
There are also spiders. Most spiders are poor swimmers, and the water that keeps gas from getting into your bathroom also keeps spiders from getting in. However, spiders love cool, dark places, like inside your closet, so they can sneak in and take up residence. under the lid.
Spider infestation is a much bigger problem for people who use outbuildings. The area under the outhouse is most likely infested with flies and is generally quiet, making for an ideal location for a spider. This includes the deadly black widow, so beware if you’re a Louisiana sharecropper in 1867 or something.
I’d rather find a snake in the toilet than a possum – possums are the worst animals. I know they’re not harmful, but they’re just so ugly and disgusting. Luckily, adult opossums are too big to crawl up your tubes. Baby opossums , on the other hand, sometimes get lost and end up in the bathroom of some unsuspecting person. Baby possums aren’t that bad , but still: possums, just stay away from me.
Can frogs jump off your toilet?
If you find a frog or toad in your closet, it’s really adorable and you should be like, “Hey little buddy! Are you lost? Gather them carefully and place them outside. Frogs often find their way into your home’s pipes from the sewer system or through ventilation pipes attached to your roof. They jump in and can’t get out, then have a harrowing adventure that ends in your closet. Show some compassion; the frog had a hard day.
Can alligators crawl out of your closet?
Nope. Forget the urban legends you may have heard: alligators don’t crawl out of their sewer lairs into your pipes. Despite sightings that date back to the 1920s (and occasional real alligators found in sewers) , the idea that alligators thrive in sewer systems is a fabrication . Sewers are not a good environment for alligators. Unfortunately, reports of blind and/or albino alligators mutating to adapt to life in the sewers and love humans have not been confirmed. However, alligators are quite common in bathrooms , especially in the south, but they enter through cat doors or other means, not through pipes.
What to do if you find a snake, rat or other animal in the toilet
If the creature invades your toilet, you will probably squeal loudly. When you’re done (which can take a few minutes), you should slam the toilet seat shut and place something heavy on it. Rats are strong, and it’s better to have a shitty rat stuck in your toilet than running around your house. (Lowering the lid probably won’t stop smaller snakes from escaping through the gap in the toilet lid. Sorry.)
Now that you have caught the animal, call animal control. They’ll deal with your toilet critter and be able to tell if it’s part of a larger sewer animal problem.
Some people recommend pouring bleach into a bowl to kill stray rats. This would theoretically work, but would require lifting the lid, potentially allowing a sewer rat to enter your home.
How to prevent animals from crawling into your toilet in the first place
If you’re really worried about the possibility of animals crawling up your pipes, there’s a simple solution: Install a rat guard. These one-way valves allow sewage to pass through but prevent parasites from getting inside. It can be snakes, rats, and anything else you can imagine.
You also need to keep things clean, especially for spiders. It is believed that it is better for spiders not to be in places filled with fumes of cleaning products; besides, not cleaning the toilet is just disgusting, regardless of whether there are spiders or not.
If frogs are entering your toilet through plumbing vents, you can cover the pipe opening with a metal cloth and cut off any branches that hang over the vents.
What to do with toilet miracles
I didn’t give any advice on what to do if your toilet is infested with CHUDs (Man-Eating Humanoid Underground Dwellers) because nothing can quench their insatiable thirst for human flesh.