Animal welfare activists have expressed alarm about a spike in incidents of animal cruelty being filmed and posted onto the internet.

The concern from Australia's peak animal welfare group follows the decapitation of a mouse in Queensland and the stabbing and exploding of possums in Tasmania.

Animal protection officers uncovered video images of the torture and both cases have ended up in court.

But the RSPCA says animal torture being posted on social media is a disturbing trend and it is getting worse.

"We're seeing close to between six and 10 incidents a week where animal cruelty is being posted on the internet or on Facebook," said Michael Beatty from the Queensland branch of the RSPCA.

"The worrying trend is that people seem to be showcasing their blatant disregard for animals on social media and on the internet and as well all know it's very, very hard to track the perpetrators down."

Mr Beatty says the latest case involved a young woman who was sentenced to 180 hours of community service after she filmed herself decapitating a mouse and posting the video online.

It took 40 seconds for the mouse to die.

"A mouse was purchased from a pet shop. It was quite obvious it was purchased for the process of sort of brutally torturing it and killing it," Mr beatty said.

"And the other disturbing aspect of course is that the person filmed the event and then posted it on a social media site."

Also before the courts is the case of two men in Tasmania who filmed themselves bashing, stabbing, exploding and torching possums.

Mr Beatty says bravado and copycatting are among the motivating factors, but some also find other reasons.

"You can understand the people of Tasmania regard the introduction of possums, which aren't native animals to Tasmania has been problem," he said.

"It doesn't matter if it's feral pigs, feral cats, feral possums in Tasmania, if they do have to be culled or killed, it has to be humane."

While the Tasmanian case is still before the courts, Mr Beatty says the punishments still are not in line with community expectations.

"The fact that you would mutilate or harm a totally defenceless creature has to send out some warning signals," he said.

"And in the past we've seen sentences handed down that are in no way reflected this, and even more worrying there was never any recommendation for psychiatric or psychologically or assessment to the offenders."