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​These reptiles can easily crawl up to your home through sewers and drains​

ETimes.in | Last updated on - May 11, 2026, 01:11 IST
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These reptiles can easily crawl up to your home through sewers and drains

Creepy crawlers, snakes, and lizards often show up in your bathroom and leave you scared to the core. Then you need to sit back and read this as we decode the biggest reason behind reptiles and crawlers slithering up your home. Well, no matter how clean you keep your bathrooms, reptiles can often climb up the drains and this happens because of the plumbing faults such as household drains and sewer pipes left uncovered, as these outlets pave the way for these unwanted visitors in the house. Here are some reptiles that are excellent swimmers and climbers, making the journey from underground city sewers to your bathroom much easier than you might think. Here are the creatures most likely to make this journey and how they do it.

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Snakes

Snakes are by far the most common reptiles to find their way into home plumbing systems. Their long, legless bodies are perfectly designed for squeezing through tight, dark, and winding spaces like sewer lines. Most snakes are natural swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for surprisingly long periods. Because they are cold-blooded, they are constantly searching for cool, damp places in the heat of summer, and damp sewer pipes fit the bill perfectly.

Once inside the pipes, they can easily navigate the "U-bend" or P-trap of your toilet. This bend is designed to hold water to block sewer gases, but a snake can easily swim right through this small water barrier and emerge directly into your toilet bowl.

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Rats


While rats are mammals and not reptiles, they play a massive role in why snakes enter sewers in the first place. Sewers are notoriously filled with rats, which are a primary food source for many snake species. It is believed that a hungry snake will easily follow the scent of a rodent deep into a sewer line. Once the snake has finished its meal, it will continue exploring the dark pipe system in search of an exit, which often leads it straight up the drainpipes of an unsuspecting household.

4/5

Monitor Lizards


In warmer climates and tropical regions, various species of lizards are notorious for utilizing drainage systems to gain entry into homes. Small and larger monitor lizards are highly adaptable and incredibly strong. Unlike snakes, lizards have sharp claws and grippy feet. This allows them to easily scale the rough vertical interior walls of brick sewers and concrete drainage pipes, climbing upwards toward residential bathroom grates. If a shower or floor drain does not have a secure, screwed-down cover, a small lizard can easily squeeze through the gaps. Once inside, they will seek out warm spots behind appliances or inside walls.

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Simple ways to block these crawlers

One-Way Valve: You can hire a plumber to put a valve, in your main sewer line. This valve is also called a valve or a non-return valve. It lets waste go out of your home. It does not let animals come back in through the sewer.

Removing Vegetation: Keep the bushes and trees around your home trimmed. This is because snakes can climb up the trees and get onto your roof. From there they can get into the vents that lead to your plumbing system. So it is an idea to keep the trees and bushes cut back.

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