A ferocious snake lunged at a reptile handler who was trying to remove it from a car.

The rat snake was being extracted from under the wheel of a resident's sedan by a volunteer when it poked its head out and hissed at the man in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 28.

Footage shows the angry snake baring its fangs, seemingly in attack mode as the rescuer dragged it out of the vehicle with bare hands.

It was then taken to the middle of the street, where it was tamed by the skilful man who patted it on the back before securing its neck.

Rat snakes are common in Thailand and they come in a variety of sizes and colours. The most usual is an Oriental rat snake which is a large, non-venomous snake that can grow up to 9.8ft-long.