Life in Cold Blood

Well what there was was great,
1st episode an overview of amphibians and reptiles, amazing turtles frozen only to thaw in spring, I was amazed!
2nd one amphibians, frogs have been done to death but some interesting stuff on salamanders.
3rd one on lizards, wow the tiniest chameleon in the world and it is a small as a beatle!
4th one is on snakes, I thought this one would be kind of boring but it turned out to be the most interesting one.
5th one on turtles and crocs, this one should have been two, turtle and tortoises and sea turtles can fill an episode for sure (sea turtles have been done to death as well) and crocs and alligators can fill an episode.
David Attenborough is a behaviorist so I guess that's why he gives birds and mammals and even fish so much attention, but I find turtles and tortoises to be some of the most amazing animals on the planet.
What there is is excellent, i just wish there was more.

This is another gorgeous series of nature videos from Sir David Attenborough and the BBC. While watching this series, I mentioned that Attenborough was a knight out loud. Someone thought that was a silly thing to do for a nature documentary star. They changed their mind by the end of the series!

This series takes a fresh look at the life of reptiles. There are five episodes. The first is a general introduction to reptiles (and amphibians) that challenges many commonly-held assumptions about these animals. Some of this footage is later expanded upon in later episodes. The second episode is on amphibians- frogs and salamanders. This was a really interesting episode, particularly since I've read/seen relatively little on the lives of salamanders. Next up are dragons of the dry- lizards. I was a little disappointed that Komodo dragons weren't featured, but there are some impressive monitor lizards as well as some tiny chameleons that almost have to be seen to be believed. The next video is dedicated solely to snakes. It's a really interesting video that I quite enjoyed. The last, armored giants, is split between turtles and crocodilians. That's too bad, as I think those are two of the most interesting groups of reptiles. Still, what's there is brilliant.

Overall, the DVDs present gorgeous quality film, often done from really interesting angles or with thermal cameras (that really reveal what life "in cold blood" is about). Each episode is followed by an extra 10 minutes or so of commentary on the filming of the episode, extra details on the animals in the episode, and conservation messages. The story of Lonely George was heartbreaking. The last of his species, he sits alone in an enclosure, where he will wait another 80 years if all goes well, before dying and removing his species from the planet for good. Of course, people are to blame for that. But Attenborough, while always a strong conservationist, is careful not to turn these episodes into sermons. Rather, he does what I think a good naturalist does- he doesn't preach, doesn't screw around with the animals, he just lets them be- and they're amazing enough on their own to make most people care a lot about them. So it's a very easy rating for me- five solid stars. I will comment that this video is a little light on footage of the predatory side of reptiles (not absent though!), which is perhaps my only complaint. But that's probably for the best if this is to be shown to young children, whom I think would love the series.

As are all of Sir Attenborough's documentaries, this is a terrific look at cold blooded animals. The picture quality is excellent.