David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities

2013 • BBC America
4.9
29 reviews
TV-PG
Rating
Eligible
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Season 2 episodes (10)

1 Virgin Birth
2/17/14
Recently it was discovered that female Komodo dragons can reproduce without ever having contact with a male. Whilst in our own back gardens female aphids can clone themselves to produce thousands upon thousands of copies. How and why do these two very different creatures reproduce by virgin birth?
2 Armoured Animals
2/18/14
Both the rhino and the hedgehog protect their bodies with formidable armour. Are these defences really what they seem? The rhino's thick folds of skin are in fact surprisingly sophisticated radiators. But what other purpose could a hedgehog's spines have apart from protection? Catching apples, perhaps?
3 Life in the Dark
2/25/14
The owl and the giant squid have adapted to life in the dark. Owl eyes are so huge they can't even move them within their sockets. But the giant squid has the largest eyes known in the animal kingdom. But where does it hide and what is it looking at?
4 Curious Imposters
2/25/14
Some animals have mastered the art of deception. The cuckoo lays its eggs in the nest of other birds and tricks them into raising its young, while the spooky looking Death's-head hawk-moth deceives hundreds of bees to steal their honey. How do these cheats and imposters get away with it?
5 Bad Reputations
3/4/14
Early reports of a wild, hairy creature in the jungles of Africa gave the gorilla a fearsome reputation and the vampire bat, with its strange face and nocturnal habits, also gave rise to horrific stories and myths. However, the true nature of these animals turned out to be very different.
6 Shocking Senses
3/4/14
The abilities of some plants and animals are so remarkable that they seem almost supernatural. The discovery of electricity in the electric eel excited early naturalists and inspired the battery. Research is now revealing many hidden plant senses too, such as flowers that can talk to bees using electrical signals.
7 Life on Ice
3/11/14
Some animals survive conditions so cold, they seem to defy the laws of nature. The Emperor penguin is the only animal that breeds in the Antarctic winter, raising chicks on sea ice. North American Wood Frogs also withstand harsh winters but with a miraculous trick - they survive being frozen solid.
8 Spinners and Weavers
3/11/14
Spiders spin intricate webs using silk, an incredibly strong material and some birds can weave complicated nests from strips of leaves. What are the processes behind the building of these complex structures and could we adapt spider silk to benefit us?
9 Strange Parents
3/17/14
Animals are usually either male or female and behave in a way that is characteristic of their gender. But in nature there are curious exceptions. Female hyenas look and behave like males, and male seahorses actually get pregnant and give birth. Why have these two animals swapped their sexual identities?
10 Magical Appearances
3/18/14
The mystery of where some animals disappear to each year puzzled early naturalists. Do swallows hibernate in mud or under water? Where do our butterflies suddenly appear from each spring? The discovery of the swallow's epic migration and the butterfly's magical transformation were scientific stories cloaked in mystery and controversy.

About this show

David Attenborough has spent a lifetime documenting the natural world. He's met a great number of nature's most extraordinary creatures yet there are certain stories of bewildering animals that continue to intrigue him - from the peculiar patterns of a zebra's stripes to the evolutionary quirk of the egglaying platypus. Each episode explores the stories behind two natural curiosities, linked together by a common theme. Filmed on location in the UK, David's gift for storytelling combined with wonderful images of the animal subjects creates a television series unlike any other he has made before.

Ratings and reviews

4.9
29 reviews
Christopher
May 5, 2016
Well made and edited, informative documentaries. Wish there were more!
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Justin H.
November 16, 2015
Brilliant.
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Anthony Tom
October 23, 2020
Huge Fan
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