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11 Feb, 2012 Sat
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今集是《冷血世界》最後一集，節目集中介紹陸龜、海龜及鱷魚三種有「厚甲」的動物。既然有厚甲，這些生物其實是如何交配？學者David Attenborough發現陸龜原來有特別設計，令牠們交配時狀似疊�韝@起的匙羹。另外，David亦目擊了鱷魚集體獵魚的過程。
The intimate lives of some of the largest and most impressive animals alive today – crocodiles, turtles and tortoises – are revealed in this final programme. All of them are covered in thick scales that have turned into armour, yet, despite their tough exteriors, these animals are capable of astonishing behaviour and warm-hearted interaction.
David Attenborough begins the story of these ancient armoured giants in the Galapagos Islands among the beautiful volcanic mists, where he finds the biggest and most long-lived of all reptiles – the giant tortoises. Observing the difficulties they face, David says: “Making love in a suit of armour is not easy.” Luckily, these tortoises have a solution – their shells are specially shaped so that the mating pair fit together like spoons.
Green turtles mate in the water and face a different problem. Filmed in exquisite detail, a mass of green turtles in a stunning tropical blue sea passionately fight for a mate. The tension increases as several males frantically jostle to attach themselves to the female, almost drowning her in the process. Eventually, the attacking males give up and the mating pair breaks free to take a life-saving breath of air. |
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今集的主角——蛇，雖然身體設計簡單，但反而造成了牠們的成功，這些「無腿的蜥蜴」在地球上演變成最高度發展的掠食性動物。為了拍攝響尾蛇的活動情況，攝製組準備了一部特別設計的照相機，以及紅外線照相機以便拍攝。俗語說：「人心不足蛇吞象」，節目中大家亦可以目擊一條蟒蛇如何吞下一隻巨大羚羊的真實過程。此外，大家還可以看到巨型公眼鏡蛇和夥伴戰鬥時的「君子協定」。
David Attenborough examines the fascinating lives of the most misunderstood group of reptiles – the snakes – and reveals that their simplistic body design has contributed to their success.
Snakes evolved from humble burrowing, legless lizards to become some of the most highly developed predators on Earth. In America, David spies on a timber rattlesnake as it hunts warm-blooded prey at night. A purpose-built camera traps and infrared cameras reveal the complex strategy used to set up an ambush. And, for the first time, the lethal strike is captured on camera in the wild.
Although venom is a lethally effective weapon, most snakes prefer not to bite as they can get hurt in the process. But, there are other ways to deliver venom as David demonstrates. Wearing a mask (to avoid being blinded), he tests the accuracy of a spitting cobra.
One of the biggest challenges for snakes is swallowing a large meal. An X-ray camera reveals the remarkable technique of an egg-eating snake as it devours, crushes and regurgitates an egg many times larger than its own head. More remarkable still is the shocking feat of a giant python swallowing a huge gazelle. |
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雖然蜥蜴外表醜陋，不過牠們其實是乾地之王，絕對是適者生存。 今集節目先帶大家觀察澳洲的沙漠，原來蜥蜴會將蛋藏於白蟻的土墩，在小蜥蜴孵出時，成年蜥蜴會將牠們挖出來，再在樹上飼養。蜥蜴是一種愛鬥爭的動物，節目為了看清楚牠們如何在同類之間「鬥惡」，特別做了一個實驗：在一隻蜥蜴面對擺了一面鏡子，看看牠的反應。得出來的結果，原來都頗為搞笑！
From iguanas emerging out of a tropical swamp to a face-to-face encounter with a monitor lizard in the Australian desert, David Attenborough traces the lizards' colonisation of the Earth as they ultimately became the Dragons Of The Dry.
The first step in their success was the evolution of hard shelled eggs. In Australia, lace monitors lay eggs in termite mounds leaving the babies with a problem when it comes to hatching – an adult has to dig them out. Once freed, like many small lizards, they take to the trees for safety.
Male jacky dragons use their tree perches to display by head bobbing and arm waving. Sometimes, they fight to back up their signalling and the loser admits submission with a slow arm wave. In Florida, David encourages an anole to display by using a mirror to simulate a rival. It head bobs and then flashes a vibrant red dewlap flap on its throat at the “imposter”.
But the real masters of colourful display are the chameleons. In Madagascar, David meets the smallest in the world – the minute pygmy leaf chameleon. In Malawi, there is a joust between two dinosaur-like Mellor's chameleons and, in South Africa, a Cape dwarf chameleon gives birth to a litter of young in a tree. As the babies drop, their fall is broken by a sticky substance that catches on the branches.
The secrets of the chameleon's hunting technique are revealed as the action is slowed down by up to 80 times using an ultra-high-speed camera. The tip of the tongue actually grasps and enfolds the prey.
New discoveries are also made about the elusive pygmy blue-tongued skinks. David tempts one out of its burrow with a fishing rod, and a special probe camera reveals the secrets of its underground family life. The babies remain with their mothers for weeks just like birds in a nest. |
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