Animal rescuers removed a wild iguana swimming inside a shocked resident's toilet in Florida.

Footage shows a reptile catcher using a pole with tongs to reach inside a bowl where the creature was hiding in Hollywood city on August 9.

The rescuer then carried the iguana out of the property before taking it to their facility.

Rescuer Harold Rondon of wildlife removal service Iguana Lifestyles said iguana sightings in family's toilets are becoming more frequent.

He said: ‘I have removed several iguanas from South Florida properties this year already. This is the second one this week already.'

Iguanas are not native to South Florida but were taken as pets in the region in the 1960s. Some of them escaped and lived in the wild. While they are not dangerous to humans, they could transmit bacteria such as salmonella.

They are strong swimmers and can hold their breaths for up to four hours. Some enter plumbing systems and pop out of toilets.