This is the shocking moment a monitor lizard was seen devouring a python in a swamp in Thailand.

Kittipong Jaidee discovered the reptile gripping the snake in its jaws at a rice field in Nakhon Pathom.

Footage shows the predator holding the lifeless serpent, remaining still in the shallow water.

Moments later, it lowered its body into the pit and began slowly swallowing its prey.

Asian water monitor lizards normally live in canals, swamps, sewers and ponds in cities in Thailand. They feed on fish, snakes, frogs and scraps of food left by humans.

The reptiles are aggressive when threatened and have a mildly venomous bite which sometimes carries harmful bacteria. The Godzilla-like reptiles are also a protected species in the country so their population thrives.