A rat can traverse the drain and reach our bath.

This is a remote event, but a rat is really able to trace the drainage of our water from the sewer system, and then reach our bathroom (and our home).

The phenomenon is more common in large cities, equipped with a combined sewerage system where the discharges of different dwellings flow; Each dwelling usually has a local sewer , which connects to the largest main city sewer system.

There is no doubt that each of these sewers will host a large number of rats inside it, great climbers and swimmers, driven by exploration from the search for food. To cite documented cases, National Geographic reports that every year the Washington DC Administration receives a dozen complaints of rats reaching homes via the sewage system (and water). So something very rare, but certainly not impossible.

The rat species in question is Rattus norvegicus , or brown rat, and is the most frequent in the cities ; His relationship with man is so old, he has become completely dependent on it with regard to food. Without man, and in particular the urban environment, this species has very little chance of survival, even because it has high caloric needs (skip even one meal is a problem for the animal, which weakens).

The sewage system is the ideal habitat for these animals, since they are also coprophages, that is, they feed on our stools, which often contain un-digested and therefore nourishing material. Disgusting, but it's a behavior that makes rats an extremely successful species.

The rat is then able to traverse the vertical surfaces of the sewer system, thanks to its sharp claws, and swim through the tubes filled with water; Once connected to the toilet, the full-air U pocket in each cabinet allows it to resume air. Its flexibility allows it to enter large holes of 1/4 compared to its body; once the head is over, the ribs can squeeze to pass the rest of the body.

The rest of the path is pure formality, and that's how we can find the rat directly in our bathroom. Toilet on lower floors, such as those in the basement or on the ground floor, are more susceptible to such problems because of their smaller distance from the sewer system with regard to height.

Quiet right? Take a look at the video to better understand the phenomenon.

source NatGeo