This video is sponsored by Raycon (birds chirping) (door creaking) Psnaic: Hissss Brew: Ohohoho, goodness. Has this ever happened to you? If so, you’re not the only one. January 2017, a 4-year-old Texas boy became alarmed when he discovered a deadly diamondback rattlesnake rising from the toilet bowl of his family home. And you know what they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And snakes, as it turns out, have a startling tendency to crawl their way into small spaces. Like the pipes that lead up to toilets, and in this case, one snake wasn’t the end. Nowhere close to it, in fact. So this begs the question—what’s with all the snakes, and more importantly, how do they keep winding up in people’s toilets? Today’s episode covers a topic that involves wild animals. Animals can react violently to humans when they feel threatened—especially when they feel trapped. In the event that you find a wild animal in your home, toilet or no, please contact animal control and let professionals deal with the situation. And with that out of the way… Let’s get into it! So, I— I know what you’re thinking- Grill: Why would you introduce me to this level of horror? Brew: How common is it for snakes to wind up in toilets? Grill: Huh, that too. Brew: The answer is, “more common than you’d like”. In that it happens at all. But, just to go through a few examples that don’t include the one in Texas… September, 2010, New York City. A man in the Bronx was on his way to the washroom when he discovered a 3-foot corn snake curled up on the toilet seat of his 19th floor apartment in Soundview. While corn snakes can be found all along the East coast from Southern New Jersey, they’re most commonly found in the Southeastern states, particularly in Florida. Which is to say that it’s unlikely that this snake was just relaxing in the rustic New York wilderness between the cab stand and the subway station, just across from the Starbucks and somehow found its way into a random bathroom. Thankfully for this resident, the corn snake is a fairly docile —and more importantly— non-venomous reptile. Once police arrived, they were able to wrangle the snake and deliver it to a snake sanctuary elsewhere in the city. Unlike a snake that bit an Israeli man while he was seated on his porcelain throne. In a scene straight out of Snakes on a Plane, the man in question was, *ahem* taking care of business while visiting his parents’ house in the city of Nofit, Israel when a decidedly not docile snake made its presence in the bowl of the toilet known by attacking and biting him on his… well… you know. In this case, we don’t know what the fate of the snake was, but fortunately for the man, the snake in question proved to also be non-venomous. Though, unfortunately the bite was extremely painful, as you might expect in more… uh... sensitive regions. Still, the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa kept the man for observation, stating, "There will undoubtedly be bite marks on the area in question. The snake was not poisonous. The man is currently under observation pending additional test results and as soon as we get the results, he will be able to go home." Chill: Aw shucks, are you guys talking about snakes? That reminds me of that one Luke Worm episode, when Spitshine he— Spitshine: Curse you, Luke! You may have escaped my lava pit, but you’ve unleashed the Tattle Snake! TattleSnake: HISSSSssssooooo did you hear about Vanessa? I heard she cheated on Josh but— Spitshine: The gossip! I can’t take it! Luke: Good thing I have my Everyday E25 Earbuds from Raycon! With these I can put this crude noodle on MUTE. Spitshine: I don’t see any wires!? How? Luke: Bluetooth baby. And with such a compact and discreet design, I could sneak these earbuds into just about anywhere! TattleSnake: And Courtney, despite making the Dean’s List... Spitshine: I NEED those earbuds! Luke: You might be in luck. Even though Raycons can match or even outperform the other top earbud brands, they sell at half the price. When this is over you should grab yourself a pair. Spitshine: If I ever make it out of here alive! GAHHHhhh! Wait, what are you— Luke: There’s enough battery to last us six hours, I’ve loaded my device with hours of podcasts about mountain climbing, escaping caves and dangerous dames. Now let’s mosey! Spitshine: Why would you help me? Luke: What can I say? I guess we just have too much hisstory. Just head on over to buyraycon.com/brew or click the link in the description to get 15% off your order. Brew: August, 2020. An Australian woman by the name of Sofie Pearson noticed that she had to press extra hard on the toilet’s button to get it to flush. Confused as to what could be causing the issue, she pulled open the lid on her toilet’s cistern, only to find four common tree snakes curled up inside. These snakes varied in length, with the largest being one meter long. Thankfully, they were able to be removed without issue, and Pearson’s toilet is once again snake-free. Grill: Ok but like how do the psnaics get in there?! Brew: That’s a great question, Grill! Thankfully, finding one of these slithery looking fellows in your personal porcelain panic room is the exception instead of the norm — which is why it makes headlines when it does happen. And there are two ways that it can happen: One simple, and one scary. Grill: Ehhh… Gimme the simple. I need to build up to the scary. Brew: Good choice. Snakes can get in through openings in your home. Like other small or flexible creatures, snakes can find their way into your home through open windows and sliding doors, chimneys, roof vents, cracks, and crevices. Once inside your home, snakes might go in search of water, especially if it’s a hot and dry summer. Most people don’t leave water just sitting around anywhere, unless you have pets. Oh, and in one other spot. Grill: Ewwww. Brew: Well it’s not like a snake knows what a toilet’s for. It’s like why dogs and toddlers drink from a toilet. They don’t operate on an adult human level of what is gross, and to them, the regularly flushed, cool water in a porcelain bowl looks quite refreshing. So, when snakes manage to get into your home, they may go for the toilet bowl to quench their thirst. Grill: So, what’s the scary explanation? Brew: Oh, just snakes swimming up from the sewer system, unannounced, with no way to protect yourself or know until it’s too late. Grill: AUGH Brew: See, the sewers are the home of many rodents like mice and rats, rodents which just so happen to be what a snake calls, “dinner”. Chasing them into the sewers, a snake can find its way up into your toilet Grill: How?! Well, the same way a rat can. Grill: Ugh. I knew I was gonna regret the second I said it. Stupid, Grill. Brew: Rats in particular have been known to climb up into the plumbing of residential buildings, and then following the pipes to the toilet. Swimming through the toilet’s S-pipe, rats can push themselves into the section leading to the toilet bowl, and out. Likewise, a snake can find its way into the sewer system if there’s an open grate or open cleanout pipe. Following the same route as a rat, the snake can find itself in the toilet bowl, full of much cleaner water than what it’s been swimming through. Which brings us back to the 4-year-old from Texas. When Cassie McFaden’s son came and told her about the snake in the toilet, she didn’t believe it was real. Which, as put by Cassie’s husband, Jason McFaden, “Because we have stuffed animal snakes and toy snakes. You know, kids, they do stuff.” Grill: Makes sense. Kids put toys in a lot of stupid places they don’t belong. Brew: But when the couple’s son became more insistent, and more alarmed, Cassie took the situation seriously and investigated, finding the diamondback rattlesnake rising from the toilet. Cassie’s son had already tried to flush the snake down the toilet, a tactic that didn’t work, so when texted about the problem, Jason told his wife to find another solution. Namely, a shovel which she managed to kill the snake with. Spooked by the experience, the McFadens called Big Country Snake Removal to inspect the house for any more scaly, slithery uninvited guests. After all, one highly venomous snake is more than enough. I mean, wouldn’t you want to make sure there aren’t more lurking in the shadows of your home? Grill: Alright, at that point the house is lost. Just burn it down. Brew: According to Big Country Snake Removal owner, Nathan Hawkins, the snake had managed to get into the toilet through a drainage system relief pipe, which it had followed into the house’s plumbing and then up into the toilet. Little did they know that a single snake was just the surface of a slithering mass beneath their very feet. Between the house itself and the crawlspace, Hawkins found another 23 rattlesnakes infesting the house. Which is… less than ideal, given that their venom destroys red blood cells, causes tissue damage, and can be fatal to humans. But diamondbacks like to hide in crevices in rocks, which the area beneath a house can seem like to an animal that doesn’t exactly know what a house is. Grill: Is nothing safe?! Is nothing sacred to the devious psnaic threat? Brew: No! But that should be self-evident. It’s not like snakes operate on a human morality scale. They’re snakes, they’re just looking for food,water and a place to hide out, not a place to terrify people. The remaining snakes in the McFaden house included at least 13 fully grown adults up to 5 feet long. Thankfully, in the end Hawkins was able to catch and relocate the snakes. At the end of the day, the McFadens were able to resolve their little snake issue without anyone - save one snake - getting harmed. Thankfully, finding a snake in your toilet is a rare occurrence, and many modern homes won’t have an issue. The McFaden’s home was an older home that was built in a different style. Or as put by Hawkins, "Most of the modern houses you're not going to have any issues..., this was an older farmhouse and they have several drain pipes that actually go out into the pasture," But, if you’re still concerned, there are a few things that you can do to protect yourself from lurking toilet snakes. Yeah, write these ones down. Eliminate potential food sources for them, and get rid of any dark, damp hiding places. Make sure that openings into your bathroom are covered with something that will prevent snakes from getting inside, like as plumber and Youtuber Roger Wakefield suggests, a screen or chicken wire, cover your cleanouts, and be mindful of open windows and doors. And most importantly, be sure to look before you sit. Grill: But what do I do if I find a psnaic? What then, wise guy? Brew: Well… call animal control? That seems like the best choice. Just, don’t try and grab it yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing. These are wild animals, and when threatened, even the most docile creatures can be a danger to you. Especially if you don't have a way to slither away.
