{"id":325,"date":"2026-04-11T19:15:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T19:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/?p=325"},"modified":"2026-04-11T19:15:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T19:15:43","slug":"toilet-dwelling-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/2026\/04\/11\/toilet-dwelling-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"10 toilet dwelling animals: &#8220;I felt as though my penis had been severed&#8230;&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns fp-header is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns fp-header-copy-container is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"background-color:#74ac3e;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--lg);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--lg)\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center fp-category has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color has-graphik-font-family wp-elements-4b9c3e17f15b7942ba1572d8562a0182\" style=\"margin-bottom:0;text-transform:uppercase\">wildlife<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center fp-title has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color has-merriweather-font-family wp-elements-e58b7c1bff1f161612cb44a9c983dc1c\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xs);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--xs);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;line-height:1.2\">10 toilet dwelling animals: &#8220;I felt as though my penis had been severed&#8230;&#8221;<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center fp-intro has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color has-open-sans-font-family wp-elements-639a0c49eb74e88d9a811a12837eeba9\" style=\"font-size:27px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"> if answering the call of nature becomes an encounter\u00a0<em>with<\/em>\u00a0nature, remember, the animals are just as surprised to see you as you are them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-base-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-base-background-color has-background\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center fp-author has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color has-graphik-font-family wp-elements-9667bb4bbb781db03c50249d6e7b5bb8\" style=\"margin-bottom:0;letter-spacing:0.3px;text-transform:uppercase\"><em>Words by<\/em> <strong>helen pilcher<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center fp-date has-base-color has-text-color has-link-color has-graphik-font-family wp-elements-742fdac228d97633aac136982ab9bf69\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-bottom:0;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.3px;text-transform:none\">April 11th, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large fp-lead-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/reticulated-python-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/reticulated-python-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/reticulated-python-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/reticulated-python-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/reticulated-python-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/reticulated-python-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harald007 \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Call me old fashioned, but the only floaters I want to see in my toilet bowl are the ones that I make myself. No one wants to look into their lavatory and see the eyes of an animal staring back at them, but sometimes this happens. Unwelcome visitors either fall in or wriggle up the waste pipe.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/10usa-sewer-dwellers\"><strong>10 sewer dwellers:\u00a0Alligators, sea cows, snakes, turtles \u2013 the surprising animals lurking in the country&#8217;s sewers&#8230;<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/scientists-film-chimps-wiping-their-bottoms\"><strong>Humans are not the only animals to wipe their bums \u2013 stunned scientists film chimps wiping their nether regions with leaves<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if answering the call of nature becomes an encounter&nbsp;<em>with<\/em>&nbsp;nature, remember, the animals are just as surprised to see you as you are them. Resist the urge to flush, and if you can\u2019t safely rescue the animal for yourself, close the lid carefully and call someone who can. Here are eight egregious toilet trespassers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10 animals that like to dwell in toilets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pythons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2183497448-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2183497448-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2183497448-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2183497448-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2183497448-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2183497448-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Harry Laub \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2016, a man in Thailand got the shock of his life when a snake bit his penis as he was sitting on the loo. The 3 metre-long reticulated python had slithered through the sewers, navigated the drainage pipes, traversed the U-bend and was curled up in the bowl. Attaporn Boonmakchuay&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/magazine-36397505\">told the Bangkok Post<\/a>, \u201cI felt as though my penis had been severed.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/worlds-longest-snake\"><strong>At 10 metres long this snake is not only the world&#8217;s longest and heaviest, but one of the deadliest too, capable of swallowing a human whole<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Pythons are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Ambush predators, they lie in wait until their prey is close, then bite and kill it by constriction. It\u2019s unlikely, however, that the python was trying to kill Boonmakchuay. The snake is more likely to have bitten him because it felt threatened.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/worlds-biggest-snakes\"><strong>&#8220;That\u2019s the length of a double decker bus!&#8221; 33ft monster tops biggest snakes in the world list<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/can-animals-swallow-a-human\"><strong>10 animals that could swallow a human whole, from snakes to sharks<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/worlds-longest-snake\">Reticulated pythons<\/a>&nbsp;are highly adaptable. Although their natural habitat is grassland and forest, as long as there\u2019s food and water, they\u2019re not picky. In urban areas, sewers and drains provide shelter and a ready supply of small animals to eat.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.itv.com\/news\/2016-05-27\/python-bites-mans-penis-whilst-on-toilet\">Boonmakchuay<\/a>&nbsp;was hospitalized due to blood loss but later made a full recovery. So did the snake, which was removed by rescue workers and released back into the wild.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/deadliest-snakes-world\"><strong>&#8220;One bite contains enough venom to kill at least 100 adult humans&#8221; 13 deadliest, most venomous, snakes on the planet<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rats&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-525973077-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-525973077-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-525973077-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-525973077-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-525973077-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-525973077-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alexander W Helin \/ Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the myth, in a big city such as London or New York, you\u2019re never more than a metre away from a rat. Whilst this isn\u2019t true, rats have most definitely infiltrated our sewers, where they thrive on the shelter, warmth and ready supply of food.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/are-rats-emotional-as-well-as-clever\"><strong>Are rats emotional as well as clever?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In June 2025, a family in Trelogan, north-east Wales, were forced to sleep in the garden after rats began appearing in their toilet. John Evans first noticed the intruders late one night. He told the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/news\/real-life\/family-sleep-outside-rats-toilet-31861599\">Manchester Evening News<\/a>, \u201cI opened the toilet seat at 3am and everything was fine, and then something jumped at my bottom. I jumped off screaming like a little girl.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rats are good swimmers and can hold their breath for several minutes. When people flush food waste down their toilets, it can attract rats, which swim up the pipes to find the source. Heavy rain and flooding can also cause the water levels inside the sewers to rise, forcing rats to seek refuge by climbing up drainage pipes into people\u2019s homes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Funnel-web spiders<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Funnel-web-spiders-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Funnel-web-spiders-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Funnel-web-spiders-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Funnel-web-spiders-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Funnel-web-spiders-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Funnel-web-spiders-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br>Ken Griffiths \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In Australia,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/sydney-funnel-web-spider\">funnel-web spiders<\/a>&nbsp;are a source of fear and fascination. With their glassy, hairless bodies, some have fangs so powerful they can penetrate fingernails and soft shoes. Six species produce venom so toxic it can injure and sometimes kill people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/deadliest-spiders\"><strong>World&#8217;s most venomous spiders: Are these 10 deadly spiders as fearsome as their reputation?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Most bites to humans are caused by males, which wander off in warmer months to find receptive females.&nbsp;&nbsp;They are attracted to water, and so are often found in swimming pools, and sometimes, toilets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/sydney-funnel-web-spider\"><strong>It has an incredibly painful bite and you can die just hours after being bitten<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The spiders get stuck in the steep-sided receptacles, where they can survive for a day or more. They can\u2019t swim, but tiny pockets of air in the hairs around their abdomen provide buoyancy\u2026. until they become waterlogged and eventually drown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s rare for funnel-web spiders to be found in toilets but it does happen. Two years ago, one Reddit user posted a picture of a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/sydney\/comments\/18919jn\/spider_id_please_ambushed_me_in_the_bathroom_its\">mite-ridden male<\/a>&nbsp;that had \u2018ambushed\u2019 them in the bathroom.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Spotted black snakes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Pseudechis-guttatus-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Pseudechis-guttatus-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Pseudechis-guttatus-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Pseudechis-guttatus-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Pseudechis-guttatus-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Pseudechis-guttatus-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ken Griffiths \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s one thing to be ambushed on the toilet by a non-venomous snake, but quite another to be surprised by a venomous one. In January 2024, snake catcher Tennille Bankes was called to a public toilet in Goondiwindi, Queensland, after a local reported a snake in the dunny. When Bankes arrived, the lid was shut, but a scaly black tail was poking out. It belonged to a spotted black snake, an extremely venomous species, native to eastern Australia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spotted black snakes grow up to 1.5 metres long. Their preferred natural habitat is grassland, shrubland and savanna, where they feast on frogs, lizards and small mammals. They don\u2019t bite non-prey animals unless they are severely provoked, but if a person does get bitten, they can expect to suffer pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately for everyone involved, the story had a happy ending. No one was hurt. Bankes was able to safely capture the snake and relocate it back into the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fur seals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2211309223-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2211309223-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2211309223-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2211309223-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2211309223-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2211309223-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joost Potma \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, so this one wasn\u2019t found&nbsp;<em>in&nbsp;<\/em>a toilet bowl, but it was found in a public toilet. In July 2016, locals discovered a 120 kilogram fur seal they called \u2018Sammy\u2019&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2016-07-27\/seal-found-in-cemetery-toilet-block-relocated-closer-to-ocean\/7662610\">sleeping in a public toilet cubicle<\/a>&nbsp;in a Tasmanian cemetery.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Australian fur seals are common in the waters that surround Tasmania. When they venture inland, they often turn up in paddocks and backyards. Experts think that Sammy swam up a nearby creek before he found his way into the cemetery and decided to take a nap.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wildlife experts later sedated him as they prepared for his relocation. Wildlife biologist Rachel Alderman told ABC News, \u201cThe officers were able to shut the door to the cubicle and keep it contained, which reduced potential issues for the seal and people, so you couldn\u2019t have asked for a better result really.\u201d Then he was transported to a nearby beach and set free.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Green Iguanas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/green-iguanax-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/green-iguanax-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/green-iguanax-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/green-iguanax-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/green-iguanax-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/green-iguanax-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Matt Dirksen \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Green iguanas are an invasive species in Florida where they are doing so well, they are considered pests. They undermine pavements (literally), destroy gardens and sometimes, pop up in people\u2019s toilets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/why-do-iguanas-have-three-eyes\"><strong>Why do iguanas have three eyes?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Iguanas are strong climbers and good swimmers. They can enter sewer systems via openings or damaged pipes and move through the drainage networks into people\u2019s homes. In 2023, a man in Hollywood, Florida, heard a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2023\/may\/25\/florida-man-iguana-toilet\">splashing sound<\/a>&nbsp;coming from his lavatory. He told the Orlando Sentinel, \u201cI look down, and I see this frightened-looking reptile looking back at me.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/reptiles\/fmarine-iguanas-acts\"><strong>It can be up to 5 feet long and hold its breath underwater for an hour \u2013 meet one of the ocean\u2019s strangest survivors<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After trying and failing to remove the medium-sized iguana with a pool net, the man tried to pick it up. The disgruntled reptile turned tail and disappeared back down the waste pipe, only to reappear moments later and jump out of the bowl. It was then shooed out of the house.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cockroaches&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Cockroaches--1024x686.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Cockroaches--1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Cockroaches--300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Cockroaches--768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Cockroaches--1536x1030.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/Cockroaches--2048x1373.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paul Starosta \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Famed for their resilience and supposed ability to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pursuit.unimelb.edu.au\/articles\/would-cockroaches-really-survive-a-nuclear-apocalypse\">withstand to survive a nuclear apocalpyse<\/a>, it is, perhaps, no surprise, that cockroaches are one of the most common critters found in our crappers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around 30 of the 4,600 or so species of cockroach live in human habitats. As omnivorous scavengers, they are attracted to the organic material found in human waste and will eat human faeces. As a result, cockroaches are commonly found in our sewers, where the damp, dark environment and plentiful organic waste help to sustain them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Social media posts describe their appearance&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/pestcontrol\/comments\/1impo69\/i_found_a_cockroach_in_my_toilet_how_do_i_clean\">in<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/askSingapore\/comments\/1ky0vmm\/cockroach_coming_from_gap_between_toilet_bowl\">around<\/a>&nbsp;urban toilets, but these stories rarely hit the headlines. This is probably because cockroaches are easily flushed away, or because pest controllers are called to deal with the problem quietly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Kangaroos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1185203863-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1185203863-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1185203863-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1185203863-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1185203863-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/34\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1185203863-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><br>Diane Keough \/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not every day you find a toilet paper-munching kangaroo in the dunny, but that\u2019s exactly what happened when a man entered a public lavatory in Australian campsite. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/aFUMAc509EU\">YouTube post<\/a>&nbsp;that he made shows the animal deliberately unrolling the paper and then stuffing it into its mouth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/kangaroo-facts\"><strong>The kangaroo: All you need to know about Australia&#8217;s most iconic animal &#8211; and its famous hop<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The kangaroo wasn\u2019t&nbsp;<em>in<\/em>&nbsp;the toilet, but it may as well have been, because no one else could use it. Nor was its behaviour that surprising. Kangaroos are herbivores. They prefer to eat grasses, leaves and shrubs, but when times are tough, they have been known to eat cardboard, paper and rubbish.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/mammals\/how-why-do-kangaroos-hop\"><strong>How and why kangaroos hop: The secrets behind their powerful \u2013 and very speedy \u2013 bounce&#8230;<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Toilet roll, clearly wasn\u2019t a terrible option, because the same animal was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Odd_News\/2016\/10\/05\/Toilet-paper-addicted-kangaroo-returns-to-public-restroom-for-another-helping\/4951475690918\/\">filmed doing the same thing<\/a>&nbsp;about a month later. Daydream Island, where the encounter occurred, is a popular tourist destination, where the kangaroos have become fairly indifferent to the presence of humans. So, what\u2019s next after a \u2018roo in the loo? A hog in the bog?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/10-weird-animal-toilet-habit\">10 weirdest toilet habits in the animal kingdom \u2013 including stacking poop, eating it for breakfast and peeing out your mouth<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/poop-facts\">Poop facts: 7 fascinating \u2013 and weird &#8211; truths about animal poo<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/animal-facts\/why-is-poop-so-tasty\">Why do some animals find poop so tasty?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> If answering the call of nature becomes an encounter\u00a0with\u00a0nature, remember, the animals are just as surprised to see you as you are them<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":328,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-main","category-wildlife"],"acf":{"article_authors":"HELEN PILCHER","send_as_draft":true,"send_as_paid":true,"send_as_featured":true},"modified_by":"dgraham","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":341,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325\/revisions\/341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}