'That's not a snake!': Surprise for Toowoomba catcher

A TOOWOOMBA snake catcher got a shock when he was called out to a job, expecting to find a black and yellow snake.

But when Dave Wiedman from Toowoomba Snake Catchers 24/7 grappled with the reptile on the Withcott property he soon found out it wasn't a snake at all.

The reptile turned out to be a goanna, a type of monitor lizard.

The goanna was hiding at the base of a tree and struggle to get away when Mr Wiedman pulled it out.

The owner of the property said he had only caught a glimpse of the goanna's head, and took the precaution of calling out the expert snake catcher when he couldn't identify what it was. 

Mr Wiedman said goannas had forked tongues like a snake.

The goanna was relocated at the request of the owner of the property.