This is the moment a defiant tokay gecko refused to let go of a snake trying to squeeze it to death.

Pupils at the Wat Suwan Khiri School were about to go to the toilet when they found both reptiles locked in a fierce struggle outside the cubicles.

Footage shows the small but feisty gecko clamping down on the green snake wrapped around its body in Saraburi province in central Thailand on March 23.

Snake catchers were called to the scene to dispose of the animals. They tried dousing the pair with water, alcohol, and tobacco-soaked liquid but failed to end the standoff as the gecko maintained its vice-like grip on its adversary.

The rescue volunteers later released the duo together into nearby vegetation.

The tokay gecko is a nocturnal gecko native to Southeast Asia, known for its loud vocalisations and powerful bite.