David Attenborough Makes Final Wildlife Series - Reptiles
By Nicole Martin, 12/26/07
For more than 50 years, the name David Attenborough has been synonymous with the BBC's ground-breaking wildlife programmes.
Since he presented the first of his Zoo Quest series in 1954, he has delighted television viewers with his compelling commentary and insight into natural history.
But after a distinguished career, in which he has made pioneering films on almost every group of animals, Sir David, 81, looks likely to bow out next year with his series, Life In Cold Blood.
Shot in high definition at a cost of £800,000 per episode, the five-part series examines the world of reptiles and amphibians and marks the final chapter in Sir David's epic Life series.It took two years to make in more than 20 countries, and used innovative filming methods to reveal that the creatures, far from being cold and slow, are in fact extremely dynamic.
Some of the techniques, including mounting tiny cameras on tortoise shells and sending microscopic lenses deep into underground lizard burrows, captured incredible moments.
Amazing firsts include wild rattlesnakes hunting, anacondas being born underwater, a male frog "giving birth", a mother caiman leading her crèche of babies to safety, and semaphoring Panamanian golden frogs.
In one scene, Sir David is filmed dangerously close to a spitting cobra whose venom, if it hits the naked eye, can permanently blind.
The broadcaster said his objective was to show the true nature of the animals. Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes thought of as slow, dim-witted and primitive," he said. "In fact they can be lethally fast, spectacularly beautiful, surprisingly affectionate and extremely sophisticated.
"Life in Cold Blood, which is due to be screened in the UK February, 2008 US dates yet to be scheduled).
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