An Australian woman woke up early Monday (June 20) morning to an unwelcome visitor - a 5m, 40kg python sprawled across the foot of her bed.

Ms Julie Birrell, who had been staying over at her friend Trina Hibberd's place in North Queensland, was rudely awakened by the sound of the reptile knocking over a lamp, ABC News reported.

"All hell broke loose," said Ms Hibberd, who posted a photo of Monty the python on Facebook.

She also posted a video that showed the body of the snake stretched across the living room wall and into the bedroom.

Snake catcher Dave Goodwin was called in at around 4.30am to remove it.

He then released it into a nearby water treatment plant, which backs into native bushland.

"We locked ourselves in the bedroom and grabbed him around the neck. He coiled around my arm but we managed to put him a container," said Mr Goodwin, adding that it was the second biggest snake he had ever seen.

The snake is apparently not a stranger to the household though.

First spotted 15 years ago when Ms Hibberd saw its head in the bathroom while she was having a shower, Monty is suspected to have been living in the roof of her house ever since.

"We knew the snake was there but I had never seen it inside, not that I know of," she said.

"I've never seen it in its full length."