A horrified family found a snake strangling a gecko on their patio in Thailand.

Homeowner Ratha Thapienthong found the two reptiles locked together in a deadly struggle for dominance in her house in Ang Thong province on May 1.

The 4ft long snake was coiled around the gecko's body while trying to strangle it. The feisty lizard was not going down without a fight, however, as it bit down on the predator's head in a last-ditch attempt to survive.

Ratha, who has experience handling reptiles since she worked as a rescuer, discovered the two creatures and separated them using her bare hands before they could fatally injure each other. She carefully unspooled the snake from the gecko, and later released both of the animals into the wild separately.

Ratha said: 'I was asked to capture both the green snake and the gecko from a local residence. I released them into my garden, but then I found them one day fighting violently on my patio. I decided to save them and release them safely back to nature.'