This is the terrifying moment a huge python's head appeared in a family's toilet.

The snake poked out of the bowl just as resident Sirirat was about to sit down in Pathum Thani, Thailand on December 13.

Footage shows the black figure of a reptile's head emerging from the toilet as the water was flushed down.

The lid was left covered by Sirirat before she fled to call for help and they all returned to check if it was still there.

Sirirat said: 'I rushed out of the toilet when I saw it. I did not think twice, I just shut the lid and ran away.

'Now I'm afraid every time I use the toilet.'

The snake was later extracted by animal rescuers who later released it into the wild unhurt.

Snakes, including pythons, can sometimes enter buildings through gaps in drainage systems, including toilets. They may pass through if a pipe system is improperly sealed or maintained.

The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where they live in forests, swamps, canals and even in cities, causing them to come into conflict with humans. The species is one of the world's largest snakes and can eat humans, cats, dogs, birds, rats and other snakes.