THE illegal reptile trade is booming on the Gold Coast with almost one a month being seized by authorities.

Of most concern is a king cobra which is on the loose after escaping from a home in Helensvale, on the Gold Coast.

Veteran snake catcher Tony Harrison has told The Gold Coast Bulletin he was warned in a late-night phone call to watch out for the aggressive and highly venomous snake.

Mr Harrison is on the hunt for the creature.

It comes after a similar incident in Robina a few months ago when Mr Harrison captured a Burmese python - a monster that can grow to 15 metres and weigh more than 100kg.

"People like to have these types of reptiles because they're unusual, but the problem comes when they escape from enclosures or get too big and people let them go," Mr Harrison said.

"I was called by an anonymous bloke the other month who said 'keep an eye out for a kingy in Helensvale', I asked if he meant a king eastern brown and he said 'no a king cobra'.

"King cobras are not something you want in suburbia and they could thrive in the Australian climate."

Cobras grow up to 5m or more and while their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, the amount they can deliver in a single bite is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant.

When confronted, they can raise up to one-third of their bodies straight off the ground and still move forward to attack. They will also flare out their iconic hoods and emit a bone-chilling hiss that sounds almost like a growling dog.

Mr Harrison added: "Some exotic are harmless, like the Burmese python, but it can grow to 15m and weigh over 100kg, which is not something you want to find slithering around.''

He said he recently found a Burmese python in Robina.

"The main concern is the diseases these snakes can bring in and the destruction they can cause to the environment if set loose."

Biosecurity Queensland confirmed to the Bulletin it has confiscated 20 illegal animals from the Gold Coast in the past two years, four of them snakes.

Anyone caught with an illegal animal faces an $88,000 fine.

Exotic animals are either bought on the black market or smuggled into Australia from overseas.

American corn snakes, red-eared turtles, tortoises, chameleons and boa constrictors are all popular illegal pets.

Read more at The Gold Coast Bulletin

Originally published as King Cobra on loose in suburbs