Madagascar

Formed when Africa and India separated eons ago during the ancient continental drift—in the process creating a 1,000-mile-long island a few hundred miles off the African coast—Madagascar has evolved over the past 60 million years into a “curious wonderland,” home to a fascinating array of wildlife (most of which can be found nowhere else). Produced by the BBC, this spectacular three-part series, featuring the familiar voiceover narration of David Attenborough, introduces viewers to a wide range of species that gradually adapted to Madagascar's diverse and distinct environments, which include an arid western side, sandy wilderness on the southern end, lush rainforest in the east, and the mountains dividing the island in half. Here, lemurs are found in 80 varieties, including one that weighs about two ounces fully grown, another that lives in the floating vegetation of Lac Alaotra (Madagascar's biggest lake), and one whose diet consists solely of cyanide-laden bamboo. Madagascar also features the giraffe-necked weevil; a chameleon about the size of an ant; tenrecs (similar to small hedgehogs), which give birth to 32 babies per litter; white, eyeless, cave-dwelling fish that swim upside down; and an astonishing variety of other insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, and flora—all of it breathtakingly photographed (and looking especially brilliant on the Blu-ray version). Extras include two featurettes: “Lemurs of Madagascar” on Madagascar's most famous residents, and “Attenborough and the Giant Egg,” about a very special memento Attenborough received on a trip to Madagascar in 1961. A superb nature documentary series, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Graham)