Life in Cold Blood

- Season 1

(2008)

Reptiles and amphibians are as dramatic in combat, colorful in their communication and tender in their parental care as other animals. They also live their lives on a totally different time scale and harness their energy from the sun. The Cold-Blooded Truth reveals the secret of their success.

Among chorusing frogs in Panama, Sir David Attenborough asks how amphibians first managed to invade the land. The Australian lungfish, an ancient relative of the amphibians that can breathe air, and the giant Japanese salamander, one of the largest amphibians on Earth, give vital clues about their first tentative steps.

From iguanas emerging out of a tropical swamp to a face-to-face encounter with a monitor lizard in the Australian desert, David Attenborough traces the lizards' colonisation of the Earth as they ultimately became the Dragons Of The Dry.

David Attenborough examines the fascinating lives of the most misunderstood group of reptiles - the snakes - and reveals that their simplistic body design has contributed to their success.

The intimate lives of some of the largest and most impressive animals alive today - crocodiles, turtles and tortoises - are revealed in this final program. All of them are covered in thick scales that have turned into armor, yet, despite their tough exteriors, these animals are capable of astonishing behavior and warm-hearted interaction.