This morning started like any other: sleepy, quiet, already thinking about coffee.
I shuffled into the bathroom, reached for the toilet lid—and froze.
At the bottom of the bowl, something dark and still sat submerged in the water. A hairbrush? A toy? My half-awake brain scrambled for logic.
Then… it moved.
Not a ripple from plumbing. Not a shadow. A slow, sinuous glide—shiny, scaled, and alive.
There was a snake in my toilet.
My heart stopped. I slammed the lid, grabbed my kids, and ran outside—barefoot, in pajamas, heart pounding.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Can snakes really come up through the toilet?”—let me tell you: yes, it happens more often than you think.
But more importantly: Here’s what to do if it happens to you—and how to prevent it from ever happening again.
🚽 How Do Snakes Get Into Toilets? (It’s Not Urban Legend)
While it sounds like a horror movie plot, snakes entering homes through plumbing is a documented reality—especially in warm climates (Florida, Texas, Southern California, the Southeast U.S.) and rural or suburban areas near woods, lakes, or drainage systems.
Here’s how it happens:
- Sewer lines and vent pipes run from your roof down through your walls and connect to every drain—including your toilet.
- Snakes (especially small, non-venomous species like rat snakes or garter snakes) seek cool, moist, dark places—and your pipes look like the perfect tunnel.
- They can climb smooth vertical pipes using their scales and body tension—sometimes traveling 20+ feet upward.
- Older homes, cracked pipes, or uncovered roof vents increase risk.
🐾 Fact: Wildlife control experts report dozens of toilet snake calls each year during hot, dry months when snakes seek water.
🚨 What to Do IMMEDIATELY If You Find a Snake in Your Toilet
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