A monitor lizard was caught by a rescuer after it hid beneath a family's floorboards in Thailand.

The reptile was discovered in the home of villager Kwanrata Puengnet, 43, in Ang Thong province after her pet dog alerted her that it had sneaked into the property on November 22.

Kwanrata said: 'I knew something had entered the house when my dog began to bark. When I went to check, I found the large lizard around 1.2 metres long tucked near a pile of iron bars so I called the rescuers for help.'

Ratha Tapianthong, a rescuer specialising in catching reptiles, arrived at the residence and expertly caught the monitor lizard with her bare hands.

She grabbed the animal and tied up its mouth and legs to prevent it from struggling before hoisting it over her shoulders.

Bizarrely, the lizard became docile and acted 'like a sleeping little child' as Ratha hauled it away on her motorcycle to be released into its natural habitat.

Asian water monitor lizards normally live in canals, swamps, sewers and ponds in cities in Thailand. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

The reptiles are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. The Godzilla-like reptiles are also a protected species in the country so their population thrives.