A snake in south India swallowed three chicken eggs but was caught in the act, and later spat them out while trying to escape from handlers who had restrained it.

The incident happened on 18 January in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu.

Visuals show the reptile throwing up three eggs one by one after being saved by a snake charmer.

As it lies on the ground, lumps can be seen inside its scaly body as it writhes in discomfort.

According to the reports, the serpent was believed to have slithered into a chicken coop and killed the hen before swallowing the eggs.

The snake charmer grabbed the reptile by the tail and shook it until it spat out the eggs.

And then the snake was caught and trapped in a bottle by the snake charmer, bringing some relief to the worried locals.