A 7ft-long rat snake was caught hiding under a family’s refrigerator in northern Thailand.

The black snake was first spotted slithering behind the cabinet by an eight-year-old boy who lived in a house in Uthai Thani province on August 26 morning.

It then searched for a cramped space to hide while the shocked boy ran to his grandfather in the other room and tell him about the animal.

When the old man checked the kitchen, they found the reptile squeezed under the fridge trying to hide so they called the rescue team for help.

Grandfather Chuan Promto, 70, said: ‘My grandson just finished taking a shower when he saw a big black snake slithering behind the cabinet. When I entered the kitchen it moved to the fridge and hid there.

‘I ran to see what kind of snake it was but did not dare to catch it because I didn’t know how to. I was afraid it might harm me.’

Upon arrival, the rescue team saw Chuan guarding over the fridge in the kitchen so it would not move to other parts of the house.

The team then took over and pulled the snake out using a noose that tightened around the snake’s body. Volunteers then dragged the creature out of its hiding place after 40 minutes.

The old man thanked the rescue team who later freed the snake back to the wild.

Ptyas mucosa, or commonly known as rat snake, is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in parts of South and Southeast Asia.