Ep 3. Dragons of the Dry

In Life In Cold Blood season 1 episode 3, titled Dragons of the Dry, the focus is on the remarkable and surprising creatures known as desert lizards. David Attenborough dives deep into the world of these extraordinary animals, uncovering their unique survival techniques amidst the harsh and unforgiving environments of their desert habitats.

The episode begins by highlighting the perfect adaptation skills of the sandfish lizard, a reptile that can move effortlessly through the loose sands of the Namib and Sahara deserts. This lizard can 'swim' through the sand, tunneling and diving as necessary to avoid predators or heat. Attenborough goes on to showcase the bloated and slow-moving gila monster, a venomous reptile that lives in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. This large lizard is an expert in conserving energy, and can survive on one meal a year due to its incredibly sluggish metabolism.

Next up, Attenborough travels to Australia to explore the life of the thorny devil, a small and spiky reptile that's built to endure the harsh and dry conditions of the outback. Most fascinating about this lizard is its habit of drinking water through its skin - it can spread out its toes and move through dew-covered vegetation, absorbing moisture through the many capillaries on its skin.

The desert horned lizard, found throughout North and Central America, is also a star of this episode. Visually stunning with its vivid, colorful scales and spikey demeanor, this lizard has another remarkable trait - it can shoot blood from its eyes to deter predators. Attenborough explains that this is accomplished via an intricate system of pressurized sinuses and blood vessels that surround the lizard's eyes, causing it to spurt a stream of red fluid that can be directed up to three feet away.

The final segment of the episode is dedicated to the beaded lizard, a large and venomous reptile that lives in Central America. Attenborough accompanies a group of researchers who are tracking and monitoring these intimidating creatures, noting their territorial behavior and elaborate mating displays. These lizards are difficult to study and even harder to find, but Attenborough's team manages to capture remarkable footage of the beaded lizard in action.

Throughout the episode, Attenborough is in top form as always - his narration is mesmerizing and his passion for the natural world is palpable. Dragons of the Dry is a fascinating exploration of a largely misunderstood and underappreciated group of animals, and it's sure to delight audiences of all ages.