Snakes. They inspire fear and loathing ... fascination and awe. To some cultures, they are pure evil. Others worship them as gods. The snake is a creature like no other ― a spellbinding seductress, a killing machine.

Now high-definition cameras ... capture the breathtaking spectacle of snakes in action like never before. This is "The Beauty of Snakes." Snakes are perhaps the most mesmerizing creatures on Earth. Beneath a mosaic of shimmering scales, their slim, supple bodies move with elegance.

They glide over the planet with speed and stealth. Their sleek, powerful  curves are dressed ... in some of nature's most magnificent colors and patterns. We will explore every aspect of their mysterious lives ― how they mate, give birth, hunt and feed, move and sense the world around them all in startling detail. Snakes live almost everywhere on the planet. They thrive on land, in trees, and in water ― almost 3,000 different species. And all of them natural-born killers.

From a newly hatched  garter  snake just 6 inches long ... to the 30-foot anaconda, they all must kill to survive.

Their hunger satisfied, most snakes prefer peace and solitude ... until it's time to mate. Deep in the rainforest of Latin America, the female rainbow boa is ready to breed. But first, she needs to shed her skin. Unlike most animals, snakes grow until they die. Their skin does not grow with them. Uncomfortable in a coat that has grown tight and dry, the boa moves restlessly, trying to release her old skin. It's a process she'll go through three or four times a year. To ease shedding, snakes secrete a highly scented oil ... between the old skin and the new one. Still moist, the boa's scales glimmer and shine. Here the clarity of  high-definition video ... shows how the rainbow boa got its name. Each scale acts like a prism, refracting light in a colorful glow. But it is the smell of her new skin, rather than the color, that will attract a mate. Aroused by her scent, the male boa ... follows the female's trail in the night air.