Life in Cold Blood
We checked 8 streaming services in India on 04 Jun 2026 at 12:42 IST
About
David Attenborough reveals the surprising truth about the cold-blooded lives of reptiles and amphibians. These animals are as dramatic, as colourful and as tender as any other animals.
Cast
Seasons
Episodes
Miniseries
The Cold Blooded Truth
The first episode discusses the keys to success of reptiles and amphibians, looking at thermoregulation, parental care and the time-scales on which reptiles operate.
Land Invaders
The second programme explores the world of amphibians, of which there are some 6,000 known species. Attenborough visits Australia to illustrate how they became the first back-boned creatures to colonise land: the lungfish, which is capable of breathing air, and whose ancestors became the first amphibians. The largest of them is the Japanese giant salamander and two are shown wrestling for territory. In North America, the marbled salamander spends most of its life on land, yet is still able to retain the necessary moisture in its skin through the damp leaf litter. A female caecilian is filmed with her young, whose rapid growth is discovered to be the result of eating their mother's skin — re-grown for them every three days. The most successful amphibians are frogs and toads. Their calls are most active during the breeding season: females are impressed by both volume and frequency. However, gestures are sometimes needed and the poisonous Panamanian golden frog uses a conspicuous form of 'semaphore'. Most other frogs rely on camouflage and the South American red-eyed tree frog is an example. An African bullfrog is shown defending its exposed tadpoles by digging a canal for them. Meanwhile, the male marsupial frog keeps its young moist by carrying them in its skin pouches. Under the Skin examines the filming of the last population of Panamanian golden frogs, which is threatened by a fungal disease.
Dragons of the Dry
The third instalment takes a look at the immense diversity, social skills and displays of the lizards. While they are highly adept at camouflage, occasionally there is a need to break cover in order to ward off rivals. Attenborough holds up a mirror to an anole and causes it to extend its colourful throat flap as a warning sign. Madagascar is host to over 60 species of chameleon but one of the largest, Meller's chameleon, is native to Malawi and two rival males are shown jousting. A female South African dwarf chameleon demonstrates its ability to change colour when communicating to a potential mate, and the chameleon's muscular tongue is depicted lassoing its prey. In southern Australia, Attenborough uses a baited fishing rod to attract the attention of a rare pygmy bluetongue skink, thought to have been extinct for over thirty years until it was rediscovered in 1992. Shinglebacks are among the most devoted lizards and breeding pairs can reunite each year for up to two decades. Alongside South Africa's Orange River, large groups of flat lizards feed on the swarms of black flies, but the males also use the occasion to indulge in social squabbling. The Mexican beaded lizard is one of the few with a poisonous bite, but males do not employ it when wrestling each other. Finally, Attenborough comes face to face with a perentie, Australia's largest monitor lizard. Under the Skin focuses on filming in Australia.
Sophisticated Serpents
The fourth episode focuses on the most modern reptiles, the snakes, exploring how they have managed to become successful despite their elongated body shape. Attenborough explains how they evolved from underground burrowers to surface hunters, losing their limbs in the process. With the aid of infrared cameras, a timber rattlesnake is shown lying in wait for a mouse and sensing its repeated path before despatching and eating it. A snake's constantly flickering tongue is used to gather and evaluate the molecules of its surroundings, and Attenborough visits Carnac Island to witness a population of blind tiger snakes, which feed on the chicks of nesting gulls. He also confronts a Mozambique spitting cobra, which quickly sprays venom over the presenter's protective face visor. The similarities in colouration between the harmless kingsnake and potentially lethal coral snake are highlighted. An example of a snake that can tackle unusual prey is the Queen snake, which almost exclusively hunts newly-moulted crayfish. A pair of rival male King cobras are seen battling and infant cobras are shown hatching: their venom is immediately as fatal as that of their parents. In Argentina, a yellow anaconda evades nearby caimans to give birth to live young. Finally a turtle-headed sea snake feeds not on fish, but on their eggs laid on a coral reef
Armoured Giants
The final programme covers the most ancient of the reptiles: the crocodiles and turtles. In the Galápagos Islands, among the giant tortoises, Attenborough explains how the creatures came to develop their shells as a defence against predators. This is demonstrated by the eastern box turtle, whose shell includes a hinged 'drawbridge'. The aquatic pig-nosed turtle is unusual in that its eggs need to be submerged before hatching, whereas those of other species would drown; Attenborough illustrates this by dropping an egg into a jar of water: it immediately hatches. In the open ocean, male sea turtles attempt to separate a rival from its mate by attacking and overwhelming the pair, stopping them from taking in air. In northern Australia, Attenborough observes a large gathering of crocodiles at a flooded coastal road: they time their arrival to ambush migrating mullet. The complex communication and body language of the American alligator is investigated and in Argentina, the calls of young caimans help their mother locate and lead them to a nursery pool. The mother's maternal instinct extends to releasing unhatched babies by gently crushing their eggs in its jaws. In Venezuela, a female spectacled caiman in charge of an entire crèche leads the infants from a drying river bed on a trek to permanent water
Where does Life in Cold Blood rank today?
Life in Cold Blood is #8864 on the Bowood.TV Daily Streaming Charts today.
- Highest: #8864
- Top 10: 0 days
- Top 100: 0 days
Watch Life in Cold Blood Online Free — All Episodes in HD
Looking for a place to watch Life in Cold Blood online for free? You've landed on the right page. Life in Cold Blood is a highly acclaimed English documentary series from 2008 that you can stream right now on Bowood.TV in high quality, no signup required.
About Life in Cold Blood
David Attenborough reveals the surprising truth about the cold-blooded lives of reptiles and amphibians. These animals are as dramatic, as colourful and as tender as any other animals. Across 1 season and 5 episodes, originally airing on BBC One.
Life in Cold Blood Cast and Characters
The cast features David Attenborough (as Self - Narrator (voice)). Their performances are a major reason Life in Cold Blood has built such a passionate audience.
Where to Watch Life in Cold Blood Online
Bowood.TV lets you stream Life in Cold Blood online free, instantly, in HD. There's nothing to install — open the page, hit play, done. Works perfectly on Jio, Airtel, Vi networks across India and on slow mobile data thanks to our adaptive video pipeline.
▶ Watch Life in Cold Blood NowWhy People Are Watching Life in Cold Blood
There's a reason Life in Cold Blood keeps showing up on "must-watch" lists. What makes it work is a tone and style that's hard to find elsewhere. If you enjoy English storytelling that doesn't follow the same tired beats, this is the kind of show you'll end up recommending to friends.
Frequently Asked Questions about Life in Cold Blood
Where can I watch Life in Cold Blood online for free?
You can watch Life in Cold Blood online free on Bowood.TV. Just open the page and hit play — no signup, no subscription, full HD streaming on phone, tablet, or desktop.
How many episodes does Life in Cold Blood have?
Life in Cold Blood has 5 episodes across 1 season. All episodes are available to stream right here on Bowood.TV.
Is Life in Cold Blood good? What's the rating?
Life in Cold Blood holds a 8.4/10 rating based on 31 reviews — genuinely excellent.
Who is in the cast of Life in Cold Blood?
The main cast includes David Attenborough.
Is Life in Cold Blood available in English?
Yes — Life in Cold Blood was originally produced in English and that's the version you'll stream here on Bowood.TV.
When was Life in Cold Blood released?
Life in Cold Blood first aired in 2008.
Do I need an account to watch Life in Cold Blood on Bowood.TV?
No. Bowood.TV is free and you can watch Life in Cold Blood without creating an account. Sign-up is optional — only useful if you want a personal Watchlist or to comment on episodes.
Similar Series You Might Like
If you enjoyed Life in Cold Blood, check out Serengeti, Out There with Jack Randall, Afrique, les arbres de la vie, Seven Worlds, One Planet, and Expeditionen ins Tierreich.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch Life in Cold Blood for free?
You can watch Life in Cold Blood online for free on Bowood.TV. All 5 episodes across 1 season are available to stream in HD without a subscription, signup, or paywall. Just open the show page and press play.
How many seasons and episodes does Life in Cold Blood have?
Life in Cold Blood currently has 1 season and a total of 5 episodes. The series status is "Ended", so the episode count may grow as new seasons are released. You can browse the full episode list on Bowood.TV and continue watching from where you left off.
What is Life in Cold Blood about?
David Attenborough reveals the surprising truth about the cold-blooded lives of reptiles and amphibians. These animals are as dramatic, as colourful and as tender as any other animals. It belongs to the Documentary genre.
In which language is Life in Cold Blood originally available?
Life in Cold Blood was originally produced in English. On Bowood.TV the show is available in its original English audio, which is the most authentic way to experience the dialogue, music, and performances. Check the player options on the watch page for available subtitle tracks.
When was Life in Cold Blood first released?
Life in Cold Blood first premiered on February 4, 2008 (2008). The series has since concluded its run.
💬 Comments
Join the conversation
Share your thoughts, rate episodes, and connect with other fans
Hey everyone! 👋 Welcome to the discussion.
Feel free to share your thoughts about this series — what did you love, what surprised you, which episodes are your favorites? 🎬
Got ideas for what we should add to Bowood.TV? Want to suggest a series? Drop it here! We read every comment ✨
Similar Shows
Shows like this one
Recommended for You
Based on this series
