What It Means If There Is A Snake In Your Toilet
Finding a snake in your toilet is a terrifying and startling experience, but it could help you determine if there's an issue in your home. There are only a few ways that a snake could slither inside a toilet, and figuring out how the snake ended up there will give you vital information about areas that need to be secured. If your home has a septic tank, a snake in the toilet could mean that there are problems with the tank's lid or that there is a break somewhere in the tank.
While snakes probably don't enter your septic system on purpose, a damaged lid or crack(s) in the tank could cause one to fall in and get stuck, leading to the animal making its way up your pipes. These reptiles will also sometimes crawl up from the sewer or fall into your pipes through the ventilation pipe on your roof. Make sure to call a professional animal control expert to remove the snake from the toilet, since trying to evict the reptile yourself could result in being bitten.
Why snakes end up in your toilet
Beyond issues with your septic tank, there are a few other reasons why a snake could end up in your toilet. In areas with hotter weather, for example, snakes that make their way inside a home may use the toilet as a place to cool off. Sometimes these reptiles will slither inside through open windows or doors or through small openings in the exterior of a house rather than climbing through the pipes. If you find the snake inside a toilet with a closed lid, however, this indicates that it came from the plumbing system rather than from outside.
If you have no septic tank or if you're certain it's secured, then it's likely the snake found its way to your toilet through your plumbing's ventilation system. Because the ventilation pipes on roofs lead to the sewer, some snakes may slither down the pipe to look for food and end up in your toilet instead. Having a hood installed over the vent will help your pipes stay secure from unwanted guests.
As for septic tanks, to prevent snakes from ending up in your toilet in the future, have your septic system inspected and cleaned by a professional every so often and ensure that there aren't any cracks in your pipes. Wire mesh can also be used to secure the opening of pipes and prevent snakes and other small creatures from winding up in your home and specifically, your toilet.