This is the hilarious moment a canal dredger scooped up a monitor lizard to scare his colleagues.

The machine operator spotted the reptile swimming in the water before catching it using a backhoe bucket in Bangkok, Thailand.

Footage shows the man lifting the machinery with the motionless creature lounging inside, in front of three unsuspecting workers on August 16.

They can be seen frantically backing away, with one of their colleagues running off the platform.

Meanwhile, the mischievous operator can be heard laughing uncontrollably in a villainous way.

Moments later, the monitor lizard suddenly leapt toward them, causing one of the frightened workers fixing a rope to jump in place.

The animal then continued to jump back into the water.

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.