Life in Cold Blood

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Life in Cold Blood is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, which is currently in production.

A study of amphibians and reptiles, it is the sixth and last of Attenborough's specialised surveys following his major trilogy that began with Life on Earth.

Part of David Attenborough's 'Life' series of programmes, it will have been preceded by Life in the Undergrowth (2005), although in 2006 he did also narrate Planet Earth — the first UK natural history series to be made entirely in high-definition format. The same year he also presented Are We Changing Planet Earth?, a major two-part documentary on global warming, as part of the BBC's "Climate Chaos" season.

[edit] Background

Filming for the programmes was scheduled to begin in the early part of 2006 and on the evidence of previous series it will take around three years to complete, with a provisional delivery date of 2008.^[1]

Unlike birds and mammals, amphibians and reptiles regulate their body temperature using mainly behavioural means (such as basking in the sun or seeking shade when appropriate). It is a common misconception that the reptiles and amphibians are in fact "cold-blooded", although the term has stuck to describe the animals usually referred to as 'ectotherms'. Ectotherms derive their body heat from external sources, unlike the 'endotherms' (mammals, birds) which use the combustion of food in their cells.

Life in Cold Blood is planned to be Attenborough's last major TV series, as he will be 82 years old when it is completed. In an interview to promote Life in the Undergrowth, the naturalist stated:

"Once I have completed the reptiles series [...] that will be enough. It would complete the survey for me. I will have given a series to every group of animals and when that is done there would be 100 or so hours of DVDs on the shelf."^[2]

In May 2006, Attenborough celebrated his 80th birthday in the Galápagos Islands while filming giant tortoises, one of which, called Lonesome George, is thought to be the same age.^[3]

This series will use many ground-breaking filming techniques to capture previously unseen reptile behaviour, including what is thought to be the first recorded predation by a wild rattlesnake in any documentary.

[edit] References

	v • d • e David Attenborough: Major television series
	The Life series Life on Earth \| The Living Planet \| The Trials of Life \| Life in the Freezer \| The Private Life of Plants The Life of Birds \| The Life of Mammals \| Life in the Undergrowth \| Life in Cold Blood Other work and narrated: Zoo Quest \| The First Eden \| Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives \| State of the Planet \| The Blue Planet \| Planet Earth Are We Changing Planet Earth?