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According to reports, the man was using the toilet in his bathroom and felt a "pinch in the area of his genitals.

A 65-year-old man is undergoing surgery after he was bitten by a reticulated python as he was sitting on the toilet at home in Austria.

According to reports, the man, who has not been named, was using the toilet in his bathroom at around 6am and felt a "pinch in the area of his genitals" He then turned around to see a 5ft foot (1.5 metres) albino snake in the toilet bowl.

The reticulated python, a constrictor native to Asia which can grow to a length of nearly 30ft (9m), is believed to have found its way into the toilet via the network of drains in the apartment block in the Austrian city of Graz.

The police said in a statement: “Shortly after he sat on the toilet the Graz resident – by his own account – felt a 'pinch' in the area of his genitals.”The man needed treatment in hospital for minor injuries.

A reptile expert contacted by the emergency services removed the snake from the toilet, cleaned it, and returned it to its owner.

The 24-year-old neighbour, who owns 11 non-venumous constrictor snakes, has been reported to the prosecutors' office on suspicion of negligently causing bodily harm, the police said.