This is the moment a bungling cobra tried to eat a toad - but was repelled by its toxic skin.

The deadly predator was seen stalking its prey across a yard but amusingly kept failing to immobilise the elusive amphibian.

Finally, the cobra struck and appeared to have succeeded in capturing the toad. But before its fangs could inject the lethal venom, the serpent went slack-jawed and loosened its grip.

It opened and closed its mouth several times in confusion, then turned to slither away, allowing the toad to live another day.

Somwong Chantachote, a local rescue volunteer who recorded the chase in Chachoengsao, Thailand, on June 27, said: 'The cobra had been following the toad for around five minutes, but it just kept hopping away. The toad's poisonous skin must have irritated it, so it just left it alone.'

Toads possess parotoid glands on their back, neck, and shoulders to deter predators. These external glands secrete milky fluids called 'bufotoxins'.

The composition of bufotoxins depends on the species of toad, but they have been found to contain bufotenine, a hallucinogen, and serotonin, which elevates blood pressure.

Bufotoxins are not normally fatal to humans unless ingested.