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Life in Cold Blood
Life in Cold Blood offers a rare glimpse into the peculiar world of amphibians and reptiles, the first vertebrate creatures to venture forth from the primeval waters millions of years ago, yet which today include species that are the most at risk of extinction. Join acclaimed naturalist Sir David Attenborough as he travels to the far corners of the Earth to tell the epic story of these animals in this companion to the television series. Discover the secrets of their astounding success--and the profound implications of their uncertain future.
Amphibians and reptiles once ruled the planet, and their descendants exhibit some of the most colorful variety and astounding behavior known to the animal kingdom. What are the origins of these creatures? How have they transformed themselves into the beautiful and bizarre forms found today? In this gorgeously illustrated book, Attenborough gets up close and personal with the living descendants of the first vertebrates ever to colonize the land, and through them traces the fascinating history of their pioneering ancestors. He explains the ways amphibians and reptiles have changed little from their prehistoric forebears while also demonstrating how they have adapted and evolved into diverse new forms, some of them beyond our wildest imaginings. And Attenborough raises awareness of the threats global warming and other man-made environmental changes pose to many of these creatures. Life in Cold Blood inspires a genuine sense of wonder about amphibians and reptiles and the marvels of the natural world around us.
Amphibians and reptiles once ruled the planet, and their descendants exhibit some of the most colorful variety and astounding behavior known to the animal kingdom. What are the origins of these creatures? How have they transformed themselves into the beautiful and bizarre forms found today? In this gorgeously illustrated book, Attenborough gets up close and personal with the living descendants of the first vertebrates ever to colonize the land, and through them traces the fascinating history of their pioneering ancestors. He explains the ways amphibians and reptiles have changed little from their prehistoric forebears while also demonstrating how they have adapted and evolved into diverse new forms, some of them beyond our wildest imaginings. And Attenborough raises awareness of the threats global warming and other man-made environmental changes pose to many of these creatures. Life in Cold Blood inspires a genuine sense of wonder about amphibians and reptiles and the marvels of the natural world around us.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
10 people are currently reading
863 people want to read
About the author
David Attenborough
172 books2,731 followersSir David Frederick Attenborough is a naturalist and broadcaster, who is most well-known for writing and presenting the nine "Life" series, produced in conjunction with BBC's Natural History Unit. The series includes Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), Life in the Freezer (about Antarctica; 1993), The Private Life of Plants (1995), The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002), Life in the Undergrowth (2005) and Life in Cold Blood (2008).
He is the younger brother of director and actor Richard Attenborough.
Photo credit: Wildscreen's photograph of David Attenborough at ARKive's launch in Bristol, England © May 2003
He is the younger brother of director and actor Richard Attenborough.
Photo credit: Wildscreen's photograph of David Attenborough at ARKive's launch in Bristol, England © May 2003
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 4, 2017
I wasn't sure if this would be a good book to just read straight through but it turned out to be a good read.
Here are some of my favorite bits of info and quotes:
"The chances of any individual animal leaving behind fossilised remains are infinitesimal. First, its dead body has to lie in a place where sediment accumulates. That is most commonly in a lake or sea. Bones lying on the surface of the land are much more likely to be destroyed than preserved. Next, the sediment has to cover the bones before they disappear, preferably even before they are disarticulated. After that, the mud-and the bones within it- has to be compressed and turned into stone by the great, infinitely slow, movements that distort and crumple the earth's crust. That has to happen without the total obliteration of any sign of the bones. And finally, those bones have to be located in the tiny proportion of rocks which happen to be sufficiently close to the surface for them to be discovered by a prospecting palaeontologist. Thus not only have the vast majority of individual animals disappeared without a trace but great numbers of species and families have doubtless existed of which we have no knowledge whatsoever."-pgs. 9-10 ...And maybe never will?
"Interestingly, the newly hatched larvae of salamanders are indistinguishable to the naked eye from the hatchlings of the Queensland lungfish" pg. 15-speaking of the giant salamander of Japan. It's particularly interesting since Queensland lungfish has paired fins that are a lot like the fossil form of Tiktaalik, and these allow us to visualize the first possible vertebrate that moved from water to land. In fact, Tiktaalik, a 375 million year old species may have been that vertebrate.
"If an axolotl is kept in a tank and a little thyroxine added to its water, the animal loses its external gills and assumes a terrestrial life." -pg. 16 It seems that poor nutrition and lake conditions lead to the thyroid gland not developing properly. Still, it becomes sexually mature while retaining its larval characteristics.
"Many amphibian eggs are black with the pigment melanin that protects their delicate cells from damage by ultra-violet light. Newt eggs, however, are white and lack pigment so they need protection of leaves."-pg. 20
"Female caecilians, however have many different ways of dealing with their young. One Brazilian species feeds them with her own skin. The female lays her eggs in cluster and then protectively curls her long body around them. After they hatch, the young-at three day intervals-suddenly and simultaneously start to bite her flanks and tear off strips of skin. She lies there passively, allowing them to swarm all over her until she has been stripped of the entire outer layer of her body. The frenzy lasts for some seven minutes. Then the family rests for three days while the female grows another layer of skin-and another meal."- pg. 28
"Caimans sometimes adopt a creche system. Several females will use the same nursery pool. As the young grow, mothers begin to leave until a single female is left guarding as many as a hundred youngsters in a single pool." pg. 140
On anoles: "Creep up towards a displaying male, holding a mirror in your hand, and as he catches sight of himself he will respond with repeated flicks of his throat flag. Persist and he may become so infuriated by this rival who does exactly what he does that he may eventually turn around and abruptly leap at the mirror in an all-out attack."-pg. 153
About a tokay (gecko)'s call: "The number of repetitions, however, varies and the local people, who are often dedicated gamblers, will sit late into the night placing extravagant bets on how many times a male will next repeat himself." -pg. 173
Monitors: "Some, however, including the perentie, have discovered a way of providing their eggs with an environment that remains at exactly the same temperature and humidity whatever the weather-and without any effort whatsoever on the part of the females. They lay their eggs inside a termite nest." Pg. 189
Shinglebacks: "But when spring returns, an adult will once again seek out the partner it had during the previous season. Such partnerships may last for as long as two decades. If one individual is killed...the survivor may stay beside the body gently licking it." Pg. 193
Snakes: "Particularly large meals stimulate changes in the snake's internal organs that are necessary to deal with the task of digestion and storage. Its heart swells by 40%. Within two days, its liver has doubled in size. Absorbing the whole meal may take a week or more." Pg. 220
King Cobra: "It is easily the biggest of all venomous snakes, reaching a length of 5.5 metres. It is thought to be among the most intelligent of all reptiles. If threatened it rears up almost to the height of a man, spreads its neck into a hood and growls loudly. It is the only snake to make a nest of leaves for its eggs. This it will actively defend against intruders of all kinds, including elephants which it can kill with a bite on their trunk. And its main food is other snakes-pythons, rat snakes and even other lesser cobras." Pg. 241
"The Gaboon viper, by contrast, which is less than a third of the king cobra's size, has fangs four times longer." Pg. 245
rattlesnakes hibernating: "As autumn approaches and temperatures fall, great numbers of rattlesnakes set out on long cross-country journeys of many miles following traditional routes to the places where they and their parents before them hibernate each year. some of these wintering dens may contain a thousand individuals. So those human beings who hate snakes and who, in spite of the rattler's sophisticated early warning system, believe that they are a constant and lethal threat, are also able, at this season of the year, to massacre rattlesnakes y the thousands." pg. 253
"The tuatara's most efficient operating temperature seems to be around 12 degrees C. At such low temperatures, the chemistry of an animal's body works very slowly indeed and in consequence, the tuatara has a very lethargic life style. It only breathes about once every seven seconds, even when active, and when resting it may go for an hour without breathing at all. It takes about twenty years to grow to maturity. A female, having started to develop her eggs within her oviduct, needs four years to complete them. Even wrapping a shell around them, which a bird manages in a matter of a few hours, takes her six to eight months. And once her eggs have been laid, they take about fourteen months to hatch-the longest embryonic development of any reptile. Such is life in the slow lane. On the other hand, it is thought that tuataras may live for as much as a hundred and twenty years or more-and that is longer than any known lizard." Pg. 272
Update:
So now I'm working on a project for work and I borrowed this book again. I think I'm going to have to own this one actually. It's really great.
I guess I didn't include the story of Darwin and the giant tortoises above. Here's a summary:
Galapagos tortoises have different shell shapes based on the island they live on. If they’re on an island with lots of grasses, they have a low rounded shape. Tortoises on islands where only a few tough trees could take root developed high peaks in the front of their shells so the tortoises could lift their head higher to reach the trees. Charles Darwin said that he could tell which island a tortoise came from by the shape of its shell and this is what ultimately led Darwin to come up with his theory of natural selection. So why do we hear this story about finches? Sailors used to use giant tortoises, which can live a very long time with little or no food or water, for fresh meat during a long voyage. Darwin’s ship did this as well and he had many specimens of tortoise shell and bones when he returned to Britain. However, he never made a note of which island each specimen came from, so he couldn’t use them to illustrate his theory. Instead he relied on the variations of beaks from finches, which were collected by a servant named Syms Covington, who took excellent notes while collecting the bird specimens, to illustrate his point.
LOL- I love this. Raising the rating to 5 stars. 5 years later and I still really enjoy this book. The TV series is great too.
Here are some of my favorite bits of info and quotes:
"The chances of any individual animal leaving behind fossilised remains are infinitesimal. First, its dead body has to lie in a place where sediment accumulates. That is most commonly in a lake or sea. Bones lying on the surface of the land are much more likely to be destroyed than preserved. Next, the sediment has to cover the bones before they disappear, preferably even before they are disarticulated. After that, the mud-and the bones within it- has to be compressed and turned into stone by the great, infinitely slow, movements that distort and crumple the earth's crust. That has to happen without the total obliteration of any sign of the bones. And finally, those bones have to be located in the tiny proportion of rocks which happen to be sufficiently close to the surface for them to be discovered by a prospecting palaeontologist. Thus not only have the vast majority of individual animals disappeared without a trace but great numbers of species and families have doubtless existed of which we have no knowledge whatsoever."-pgs. 9-10 ...And maybe never will?
"Interestingly, the newly hatched larvae of salamanders are indistinguishable to the naked eye from the hatchlings of the Queensland lungfish" pg. 15-speaking of the giant salamander of Japan. It's particularly interesting since Queensland lungfish has paired fins that are a lot like the fossil form of Tiktaalik, and these allow us to visualize the first possible vertebrate that moved from water to land. In fact, Tiktaalik, a 375 million year old species may have been that vertebrate.
"If an axolotl is kept in a tank and a little thyroxine added to its water, the animal loses its external gills and assumes a terrestrial life." -pg. 16 It seems that poor nutrition and lake conditions lead to the thyroid gland not developing properly. Still, it becomes sexually mature while retaining its larval characteristics.
"Many amphibian eggs are black with the pigment melanin that protects their delicate cells from damage by ultra-violet light. Newt eggs, however, are white and lack pigment so they need protection of leaves."-pg. 20
"Female caecilians, however have many different ways of dealing with their young. One Brazilian species feeds them with her own skin. The female lays her eggs in cluster and then protectively curls her long body around them. After they hatch, the young-at three day intervals-suddenly and simultaneously start to bite her flanks and tear off strips of skin. She lies there passively, allowing them to swarm all over her until she has been stripped of the entire outer layer of her body. The frenzy lasts for some seven minutes. Then the family rests for three days while the female grows another layer of skin-and another meal."- pg. 28
"Caimans sometimes adopt a creche system. Several females will use the same nursery pool. As the young grow, mothers begin to leave until a single female is left guarding as many as a hundred youngsters in a single pool." pg. 140
On anoles: "Creep up towards a displaying male, holding a mirror in your hand, and as he catches sight of himself he will respond with repeated flicks of his throat flag. Persist and he may become so infuriated by this rival who does exactly what he does that he may eventually turn around and abruptly leap at the mirror in an all-out attack."-pg. 153
About a tokay (gecko)'s call: "The number of repetitions, however, varies and the local people, who are often dedicated gamblers, will sit late into the night placing extravagant bets on how many times a male will next repeat himself." -pg. 173
Monitors: "Some, however, including the perentie, have discovered a way of providing their eggs with an environment that remains at exactly the same temperature and humidity whatever the weather-and without any effort whatsoever on the part of the females. They lay their eggs inside a termite nest." Pg. 189
Shinglebacks: "But when spring returns, an adult will once again seek out the partner it had during the previous season. Such partnerships may last for as long as two decades. If one individual is killed...the survivor may stay beside the body gently licking it." Pg. 193
Snakes: "Particularly large meals stimulate changes in the snake's internal organs that are necessary to deal with the task of digestion and storage. Its heart swells by 40%. Within two days, its liver has doubled in size. Absorbing the whole meal may take a week or more." Pg. 220
King Cobra: "It is easily the biggest of all venomous snakes, reaching a length of 5.5 metres. It is thought to be among the most intelligent of all reptiles. If threatened it rears up almost to the height of a man, spreads its neck into a hood and growls loudly. It is the only snake to make a nest of leaves for its eggs. This it will actively defend against intruders of all kinds, including elephants which it can kill with a bite on their trunk. And its main food is other snakes-pythons, rat snakes and even other lesser cobras." Pg. 241
"The Gaboon viper, by contrast, which is less than a third of the king cobra's size, has fangs four times longer." Pg. 245
rattlesnakes hibernating: "As autumn approaches and temperatures fall, great numbers of rattlesnakes set out on long cross-country journeys of many miles following traditional routes to the places where they and their parents before them hibernate each year. some of these wintering dens may contain a thousand individuals. So those human beings who hate snakes and who, in spite of the rattler's sophisticated early warning system, believe that they are a constant and lethal threat, are also able, at this season of the year, to massacre rattlesnakes y the thousands." pg. 253
"The tuatara's most efficient operating temperature seems to be around 12 degrees C. At such low temperatures, the chemistry of an animal's body works very slowly indeed and in consequence, the tuatara has a very lethargic life style. It only breathes about once every seven seconds, even when active, and when resting it may go for an hour without breathing at all. It takes about twenty years to grow to maturity. A female, having started to develop her eggs within her oviduct, needs four years to complete them. Even wrapping a shell around them, which a bird manages in a matter of a few hours, takes her six to eight months. And once her eggs have been laid, they take about fourteen months to hatch-the longest embryonic development of any reptile. Such is life in the slow lane. On the other hand, it is thought that tuataras may live for as much as a hundred and twenty years or more-and that is longer than any known lizard." Pg. 272
Update:
So now I'm working on a project for work and I borrowed this book again. I think I'm going to have to own this one actually. It's really great.
I guess I didn't include the story of Darwin and the giant tortoises above. Here's a summary:
Galapagos tortoises have different shell shapes based on the island they live on. If they’re on an island with lots of grasses, they have a low rounded shape. Tortoises on islands where only a few tough trees could take root developed high peaks in the front of their shells so the tortoises could lift their head higher to reach the trees. Charles Darwin said that he could tell which island a tortoise came from by the shape of its shell and this is what ultimately led Darwin to come up with his theory of natural selection. So why do we hear this story about finches? Sailors used to use giant tortoises, which can live a very long time with little or no food or water, for fresh meat during a long voyage. Darwin’s ship did this as well and he had many specimens of tortoise shell and bones when he returned to Britain. However, he never made a note of which island each specimen came from, so he couldn’t use them to illustrate his theory. Instead he relied on the variations of beaks from finches, which were collected by a servant named Syms Covington, who took excellent notes while collecting the bird specimens, to illustrate his point.
LOL- I love this. Raising the rating to 5 stars. 5 years later and I still really enjoy this book. The TV series is great too.
March 13, 2025
Beautiful. I could hear Attenborough's voice as I read this book.
November 16, 2010
a fantastic book on the natural history of what I personally believe to be the most fascinating group of fauna on the earth. Attenborough's style of writing not only lends its self to an easy and leisurely read but it absorbs you in to the text. I read this book cover to cover in three days, the text is so informative and when coupled with the spectacular imagery we have come to expect when Attenborough is concerned this book becomes a most incredible read. Not only does Sir Attenborough discuss whole genera but he focuses in on interesting little species and talks about specific attributes of theirs making this book a breakthrough in herpetological writing for those both interested in Herpetofauna and those with very little interest in natural history at all.
March 9, 2022
I couldn't agree more: :p
Frogs and toads, turtles and tortoises, crocodiles and alligators, lizards and snakes. They arose from the first backboned animals on earth three hundred million years ago - long ages before birds or mammals, even before any flowering plants. Dinosaurs apart, they are the great survivors.
David Attenborough delights in them all, as in all other forms of life - their beauty and their perfect adaptation to the earth. A teacher of consummate skill, grace and intelligence, he reveals the natural world in unforgettable books and films for BBC television.
Of all groups, surely the reptiles - so different from ourselves - deserve our better understanding. Sir David offers that, and great enjoyment along the way. Few people will read him unmoved or unenlightened.
Frogs and toads, turtles and tortoises, crocodiles and alligators, lizards and snakes. They arose from the first backboned animals on earth three hundred million years ago - long ages before birds or mammals, even before any flowering plants. Dinosaurs apart, they are the great survivors.
David Attenborough delights in them all, as in all other forms of life - their beauty and their perfect adaptation to the earth. A teacher of consummate skill, grace and intelligence, he reveals the natural world in unforgettable books and films for BBC television.
Of all groups, surely the reptiles - so different from ourselves - deserve our better understanding. Sir David offers that, and great enjoyment along the way. Few people will read him unmoved or unenlightened.
February 2, 2023
Incredible! Everything Sir David Attenborough produces is a work of art that is fascinating and hard to put down. This book provides great information on the life and history of reptiles and amphibians. A must read for any wildlife fans.
May 19, 2017
A remarkable overview of reptiles. I adored this.
November 9, 2020
Detailed but not too technical, interspersed with gorgeous full colour photos, and bits of classic Attenborough humour. Overall an enjoyable overview of herpetology
May 31, 2025
The photos are so lovely that they tended to distract me from the text, but that's also quite good and informative. Could have used a better proof-reader in places, though.
Want to read
December 27, 2025Present from Mum Xmas 2025
June 25, 2010
This is a marvelous book, especially if, like me, you're a reptile lover. David Attenborough is a storytelling genius who has gone out of his way to explore the lengths, heights, and depths of the world to find and report on the most interesting and unusual frogs, lizards, and snakes. Not only that, but the book is richly illustrated with amazing photographs of these animals in action, many of them the kind of thing you'll never see in real life without the guidance of an expert herpetologist and a lot of luck. Richly educational about life cycles and evolutionary paths, this is an enjoyable page-turner.
So what is life like for the ectotherms? Read this book and find out!
So what is life like for the ectotherms? Read this book and find out!
August 6, 2008
just god damend amazing. About Amphibian and reptiles. So many cases of seemingly bizarre adaptations to life by such amazing creatures.
this book shows in color and in simple beautifully written case after case, just how amazing evolution is. And how wonderful and incredible the natural world is. Just get this book and look through it one afternoon with a friend.
this book shows in color and in simple beautifully written case after case, just how amazing evolution is. And how wonderful and incredible the natural world is. Just get this book and look through it one afternoon with a friend.
August 17, 2008
Fabulous pictures. Okay, didn't read the whole book, just loved looking at the pictures.
October 28, 2008
My copy is signed! Yay!
February 24, 2010
This book is just so darn cool.
October 5, 2011
A delightful and fascinating book about salamanders, newts, frogs, tortoises, terrapins, turtles, crocodiles, alligators, gharials, lizards, and snakes.
April 23, 2012
Loved it! As an animal lover David Attenborough's books are second to none. Reptiles are such a fascinating group & this book is a must for any reptile fan.
September 5, 2012
Enjoyed what I read, but did not enjoy enough to finish before it was due back at the library.
July 8, 2014
The pictures were nice. But I found the video documentary this book is based on much more moving.
May 4, 2023
Informative and beautiful to look at. I like flipping through it for inspiration when writing cold blooded aliens.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews