This is the terrifying moment a huge python was found curled in a car engine in Cambodia.

The giant reptile spooked the car owner who leapt back with fright when lifted the bonnet of the red Toyota Prius left near a factory in Sihanoukville on November 24.

Footage shows brave locals prodding the animal as it lay in the engine compartment, prompting it to slither further inside. Another clip shows two men lifting the car bonnet - only to jump back upon seeing the python.

Onlooker Tep Solida said: 'My brother, Bong, heard something inside his car. He thought it might be a snake but he did not think it was that big.

'He said he nearly had a heart attack when he saw the snake. He went back with the other staff and they waited for the police to come.'

Police and wildlife volunteers later arrived to drag the snake away. They used catch poles to stuff the python inside a rubbish bin. It was then released into its natural habitat.

The Burmese python is one of the largest snake species in the world native to Southeast Asia. It is a nonvenomous snake that can grow more than 20 feet long. It is known for its striking patterned skin with brown, tan, and gold hues.