The hot spring snake is unique to Tibet
And is believed to have survived the inhospitable conditions up on the plateau
principally thanks to this natural central heating.
These cold-blooded snakes hang out in streams and rivers
which are fed by the hot springs
Where they enjoy a surprisingly productive lifestyle.
Slipping into the warm water,they wait patiently
Bobbing their heads on the look-out for fish.
Thanks to its unlikely relationship
with the volcanic forces which built the Himalayas
The hot spring snake is able to survive at altitudes up to 4,500 metres
Making it the highest-living snake in the world.
The slow-motion crash between Asia and India
has been going on for 30 million years.
The Himalayas are the crumple-zone created by these two colliding landmasses
A bewildering maze of mountains and valleys, home to elusive wild creatures.
In this rugged and unforgiving terrain
Littered with fractured rock and ice cold rivers
The slightest miscalculation may have fatal consequences.