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.

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When he finally reaches her, he coils around her and begins his seduction. Garter snakes have one of the  most dramatic mating rituals ... in the world. In eastern Canada, the female red-sided garter ... emerges from six months of winter hibernation. Soon after leaving her den, she emits a scent through her skin. This potent perfume attracts the attention ... of male garters up to 20 miles away. One by one, they come. The larger female is soon  inundated with suitors ... driven to frenzy by her smell. In an hour, she is lost  beneath a tangle ... of over 100 squirming bodies known as a "mating ball." Within the writhing mass, each of the males ... pushes and shoves his rivals out of the way, trying to be the first to mate with the female. Only one of them will succeed. The struggle can  go on for a week. After mating, the victorious male inserts a plug inside the female, preventing other males from breeding with her. Eventually, the exhausted males unscramble themselves ... and go their separate ways.

Three months later, the female will be ready to give birth. This checkered garter snake is feeling restless, and no wonder. She is about to give birth to 30 wriggling babies. Each tiny snake takes only seconds ... to break through its transparent egg sac. The babies must emerge quickly in order to breathe. The entire brood is born within half an hour. Then, mothering duties over, the newborns are on their own. Only two of these babies will make it to maturity. The rest will fall victim to predators, starvation, and the elements. To survive, they must hunt. Tiny, curved teeth clamp onto  prey like this earthworm ... with a fierce grip. Swallowed alive, the worm will die ... from acids in the  snake's stomach. Barely 30 minutes old and already an instinctive killer. Not all snakes have live births. Most species lay eggs. In the American Midwest, the corn snake lives close to farmyards and crops, where it feasts on a plentiful supply of rodents. This female mated a week ago and has just laid eight eggs ... in a nest of rotting leaves.

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Parenting is now over. She will not be back. Three months later, the unborn snakes twist and wriggle in their shells. A tiny tooth on the  end of their snouts ... helps them slit an opening in the surface. After breaking through, they often retreat ... back into their shells for several hours' rest. It may be two days before they leave the shell for good. Slipping away from their nest, the odds are stacked  against the hatchlings. Like all snakes, they will have to rely ... on a powerful array of senses to survive. Snakes sense the world differently from humans. Eyes on either side of her head ... gives this eyelash pit viper a wide field of vision. Lash-like scales protect her eyes ... from pointy branches in the dense rainforest. Snakes have no eyelids. It's impossible to know if they're sleeping ... or just lying in wait. The viper's unblinking stare may seem ominous, but she has relatively poor vision. Snakes are best at detecting motion. They have difficulty focusing on still objects. She can understand her world better by using her tongue. Snakes use their  tongues to smell. When a snake wants to investigate its surroundings, it flicks its tongue, collecting scent particles from the air.

This tiny instrument is  10,000 times more sensitive ... than the human nose. Forked tongues allow snakes to smell in stereo, picking up different scents from different directions. As this mouse moves, it leaves behind a trail of scent particles. As scent particles are collected, the snake presses the tips of its tongue ... into an organ in the  roof of its mouth. There particles are  identified and analyzed, translating the matrix of  smells into a precise image. This allows the snake to pinpoint the location ... and size of its prey, even in total darkness. With such an extraordinary tracking device, snakes rarely miss. In the unforgiving desert of Arizona, a Western diamondback rattlesnake ... must use all his  senses to survive. This male has just emerged from winter hibernation ... and has not eaten in five months. But as a cold-blooded reptile, he needs to warm his body ... in the sunshine before he'll have the energy to hunt. A mouse would make a good meal. The rattlesnake's hearing won't help him locate his target. He has no external ear, nor any eardrums. Like all snakes, he is  deaf to airborne sounds. But he can hear sounds that come through the ground. His long, slack belly, in constant contact with the Earth, picks up even the  smallest vibrations. When hunting, the snake  adds this information ... to the smells gathered by his flickering tongue.

As the mouse comes closer, yet another extraordinary  sense comes into play. Certain snakes, like this rattler, have deep pits beneath their eyes. These pits are lined with heat-sensitive cells ... that can detect a temperature change ... as little as 2/1,000 of a degree Fahrenheit. This thermal image represents what the snake senses. Warm-blooded creatures make easy targets, even on the darkest of nights. Keep his distance, and the unsuspecting mouse is safe. Step any closer, and he'll be in striking range of a heat-seeking missile. The strike is so quick that the mouse doesn't know what hit it. Though the rattlesnake can draw on venom to kill 300 mice, he injects just enough for a lethal dose. Once the mouse has stopped moving, the rattlesnake slowly swallows his meal. It will take 15 minutes for the mouse, still emitting heat, to disappear into the cold body of the snake. It will take several days ... for the snake to fully digest his meal. Then he will be back on the move, sliding over the rocky  landscape with ease. A snake in motion is a thing of wonder a limbless body surging  with power and agility. Without arms or legs, snakes have adapted to a wider  range of environments ... than any other species on the planet. The most common way for a snake to move ... is the serpentine method, in which the body follows  a series of "S" curves. The snake uses the lower  back edges of its body ... to push off against any  roughness on the ground. Viewed from beneath, each belly scale is seen  moving and sliding.

With up to 500 vertebrae in their spines, snakes are the most flexible creatures in the world. There are few obstacles they can't navigate, few hiding places they can't wriggle into. A camera mounted on the  back of a Cape cobra ... shows how the snake undulates through its domain. It's a way of moving ... that has taken millions  of years to perfect. Snakes are believed to have evolved from prehistoric lizards ... at least 100 million years ago. Theory has it that these  ancient reptiles ... sought safety by burrowing in the soil. To move through the earth in a more streamlined fashion, they gradually lost their limbs. Their eyesight diminished ... since it served no purpose underground. Once they re-emerged above the ground, snakes developed different ways of moving over varying terrains. The desert sands of Namibia are searing hot, but this sidewinder has adapted to the harsh environment. There are two parts to the sidewinding motion. First, the snake lifts his head and front half of his body ... off the ground and  throws them sideways. Then he repeats the motion with his back half. Seen from underneath and in slow-motion, his body makes a continuous series of thrusts. Very little skin is left in contact ... with the hot sand at any time. This effective technique allows sidewinders ... to cover large distances and climb the world's ... largest sand dunes 1,000 feet high. Snakes move most  elegantly in water. The Cape cobra, like many snakes, flourishes near human beings. In South Africa, they are often found in ponds and pools, where they can show off their graceful swimming skills. Using serpentine motion, the cobra's body sweeps from side to side.

She slices through the  swimming pool unnoticed. Some species spend their whole lives in the water. In the Amazon rainforest, this green anaconda makes his home in river shallows. He can remain completely submerged for 10 minutes. Reaching weights of over 500 pounds, anacondas are the heaviest snakes in the world. They can grow up to 30 feet in length, 3 feet in girth. Despite his bulk, the anaconda is an agile swimmer. Buoyed by the water, he moves in a serpentine pattern. On land, the anaconda and other big-bodied snakes, like this puff adder, are too thick for serpentine curves. Instead, they move  in a straight path, using their belly scales like bulldozer treads. Seen from underneath, the belly skin contacts  the ground in waves, inching the body forwards, much like a caterpillar. A snake-mounted camera shows the puff adder's remarkable control. and smooth pace. The caterpillar motion helps the adder make a stealthy approach. before ambushing its prey. This 12-foot bushmaster also uses the caterpillar motion ... to slink through the  South American jungle. He is the deadliest snake on the continent. Antidote to his venom is unreliable and hard to come by. These caterpillar movers have a triangular-shaped body ... with a wide, flat belly that hugs the ground. When he has chosen the  position for his ambush, the bushmaster curls up at the base of a tree, waiting for prey to pass. Snakes are masters of the kill. Victims rarely hear them coming. One of the most feared and respected species ... is Africa's black mamba.

Long and slender, the black mamba is the  fastest snake in the world. It is also one of  the most aggressive. When disturbed, this short-tempered creature will often attack. It can outrace a human in the bush, striking swiftly and accurately in any direction, even when moving at top speed. It can launch itself from up to six feet away. The mamba's venom almost always delivers a speedy death. In short bursts, black mambas can reach 12 miles per hour, nearly the speed of a cantering horse. As it gives chase, the black mamba holds ... up to a third of its 12-foot  body above the ground. It likes to face its enemies eye to eye. With its coffin-shaped head and jet-black mouth, it's no wonder that Africans  call this creature ... the shadow of death. Unlike most snakes, it bites repeatedly. Just two drops can kill a human within 20 minutes. Deep in the Amazon River basin, another notorious killer is on the hunt the anaconda. He doesn't poison his victims. He kills by constricting. Unlike the impulsive  black mamba, the anaconda is a methodical and deliberate stalker. He slips into the  shallow water to hunt. He surveys the surface for prey, then retreats underwater. His principal weapon is surprise. The ducks are unaware of what lies beneath. The anaconda's powerful jaws snatch the duck, dragging it underwater. With each outward breath, the duck is squeezed just a little bit more. Suffocation does not take long. Like all snakes, anacondas  unhinge their jaws ... to swallow meals several times larger than their heads. A big anaconda is capable of consuming a crocodile. Legend has it, they can even kill and swallow a human. Where humans go, snakes follow. Human food attracts rodents, which in turn attract snakes.

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Farm animals are also a temptation. In the late afternoon, this African village comes to life. The cobra moves in unnoticed. A chicken would satisfy his hunger. He cautiously makes his way deeper into the village. But his sneak attack has been foiled. With sharp claws and powerful teeth, the dogs are formidable enemies. The snake spreads his hood ... to look bigger and  more intimidating. The dogs are undaunted. But this cobra has a secret weapon. As a last resort, he spits  venom from his fangs ... directly into his enemy's eyes. The pain is instant. If not treated, blindness could follow. The venom must be washed from the dog's eyes right away. In the ensuing panic, the snake slips away, hungry but unscathed. Snakes will always avoid  humans, if possible. But if confronted or  accidentally stumbled upon, they can be aggressive. And in defense, they will  always strike out. In Central and South America, the fer-de-lance ... kills more people than any other snake  over 2,000 deaths a year. Camouflaged in earthen-toned skin, they lie across walking trails, where they often catch people off guard. They are also attracted to buildings ... where the sun has warmed the floor during the day.

If the mother or child puts a foot down now, they could be dead within hours. She has enough venom to kill  both of them twice over. She can sense the presence of warm-blooded creatures. She knows they are much  bigger than her. She flicks her tail  a warning. Rattlesnakes sound a  more blatant alarm ... when people get too close. The older the rattlesnake  gets, the longer its rattle. Each time the snake sheds, a small part of its skin ... is left behind on the base of the tail, hardening into a new  band of the rattle. Another fierce snake intimidates its enemies ... with a loud hiss of exhaled air. This is how the puff adder got its name. The saw-scaled viper rubs its scales together ... in a dramatic warning. Bright colors are a  signal to stay away. They also keep some species hidden from human eyes. But sometimes the  camouflage is too good. Eyelash pit vipers have been known ... to fall asleep in a banana tree, only to wake up in a fruit stand halfway around the world. Yeah, yeah, yeah! Since snakes and humans ... are the two most adaptable creatures on the planet, they increasingly come into contact.

The African house snake likes the food, shelter, and comfort that a  home can provide. Humans are often unaware of their silent houseguests. As night falls and humans go to sleep, the snake has the house to himself. He repays his hosts by ridding the home of unwanted pests. But for the presence of snakes, humankind would be overwhelmed by rats and mice. Rodents would wreak havoc on agricultural land ... and raid homes for food. Soon, the whole world would be infested. Though snakes may inspire dread in many people, the world cannot do without these magnificent creatures. And from a safe distance, we  can truly admire the elegance, prowess, and mystique that is the beauty of snakes.