Gold Coast snake catcher in hospital after being bitten by eastern brown

A Gold Coast snake catcher has been rushed to hospital after being bitten on the thumb by one of the world's deadliest snakes as he livestreamed trying to capture it.

Tony Harrison was at a house in Pimpama this afternoon to catch an eastern brown snake underneath an air conditioning unit when the small serpent suddenly lashed out.

He was live-streaming to more than 36,000 followers of his Gold Coast and Brisbane Snake Catcher Facebook page when the snake took fright and tried to escape.

The footage shows the snake for only a second before Mr Harrison can be heard in the background breathing heavily in shock.

The woman who had called the catcher can be heard asking if it has bitten him before realising the dire situation.

Mr Harrison said he felt "a quick ninja tap" and then looked down to see blood on his thumb.

"And my worst nightmare was being lived out … Imagine the feeling of knowing you may die in a few hours," he wrote on Facebook.

Incredibly, he escaped without being envenomated but said he was being kept in hospital overnight for observations.

Mr Harrison said it wasn't the first time he had been bitten by a a brown snake after barely surviving an incident 17 years ago.

"10 vials to pull it up but I'm still here," he wrote on Facebook.

"The docs often told me not to do it again as I may not come out the other side.

"I have never been scared of dying until I found true happiness with my new family.

"I've since been as careful as I can. Knowing it does happen to us catchers but I really want to see Jensen grow up.

"I often think of the repercussions and it frightens me a lot."