An Australian man who filmed himself biting the head off a live rat and posting the video on Facebook was banned on Monday from owning pets for three years and ordered to do community service.

Matthew Maloney, known as "Mad Matt", was charged following a raid by RSPCA investigators after the bizarre stunt in January, which attracted hundreds of thousands of online views.

The 25-year-old admitted one count of animal cruelty in Brisbane Magistrates Court and was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, while being slapped with the pet ban.

Magistrate Suzette Coates described him as a "narcissist" and he expressed remorse, although he told reporters outside court that his actions "weren't that bad", according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The video shows Maloney storming into a room, biting off the rat's head and washing it down with three shots of vodka. He then gets punched in the face and has a chair broken over his back before saying "beat that".

The clip was reportedly an attempt to create a disturbing new social-media challenge.

He was unrepentant at the time after a string of comments branding him disgusting.

"All your comments are cracking me up and not one person out there will be able to say anything that will make me feel bad or make me regret what i did," he wrote on Facebook.

"Its mother nature and mans gotta eat!"