# What is this worm in my toilet, and how did it get there? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-worm-in-my-toilet-and-how-did-it-get-there/238661 "2004-04-07T01:39:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-worm-in-my-toilet-and-how-did-it-get-there/238661/1 "2004-04-07T01:39:09Z")
So, I look into my toilet and there is a worm in it. I’d like to know how it got there since I’m about 75% sure it didn’t come from me. My husband is freaking me out that it did, but I doubt it. I’ve never seen a worm like this. It was about 3-4 inches in length and orange in body color with a brownish banding throughout the entire body. It looked like an earthworm and had that wider band around part of it. Do these things crawl back up from the septic tank? I have 3 toilets and this one is on the second floor. The thing that will now plague my dreams was still alive and was quite content to stay there. I flushed it, but now I think it’s going to grow and come back and eat me. I live outside Seattle and have never seen anything like this in my yard or anything. Now I’m starting to freak out a little. HELP!!! ---
**Author:** ![substatique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@substatique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/substatique)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-worm-in-my-toilet-and-how-did-it-get-there/238661/2 "2004-04-07T01:51:34Z")
If it came from you it probably looked like [this](http://www.biology.ucok.edu/AnimalBiology/Platyhelminthes/Taenia.html). I have no idea if worms crawl up pipes, but rats and snakes can so I don’t see why not. Do you have a cat? The worm may have been dropped into the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-worm-in-my-toilet-and-how-did-it-get-there/238661/3 "2004-04-07T02:10:29Z")
The band sounds like a [clitellum](http://www.flushing.k12.mi.us/srhigh/tippettl/biology/lum/clitellum.jpg), in which case you were probably looking at a specimine of one of the 7 known species in the genus [Lumbricus](http://www.omne-vivum.com/a/1880.htm), one of which is the common earthworm, \*Lumbricus terrestris \*. ---
**Author:** ![violet9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ea666f/32.png) [@violet9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violet9)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-worm-in-my-toilet-and-how-did-it-get-there/238661/4 "2004-04-07T03:21:54Z")
If you’ve got a septic tank, I strongly suggest you get it checked out - sounds like you have a backup that’s bringing nature a little too close to the house. It’s not a parasite (you don’t have worms). If you have indoor/outdoor pets it may be something they drug in, but if not - call the septic guys - quick. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-worm-in-my-toilet-and-how-did-it-get-there/238661/5 "2004-04-07T04:21:34Z")
[There’s a worm in your septic tank all right!](http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/5126/flukemn.html)