Follow the nocturnal mission of a hamster in search of soft bedding material for his cage. As the hamster moves, glands on his belly lay down a scent that leaves a sensory map he can follow with his heightened sense of smell. It will guide him home once his mission is accomplished.
But when it comes to the power of smell, dogs take the top prize. While humans have six million smell receptors, a dog’s nose contains 300 million. Filmmakers use Schlieren photography, which makes smells visible, to visualize how dogs breathe. It illustrates the unique two-way current that allows dogs to pick up a scent almost continuously.
NATURE: Wednesday at 8 p.m. on PBS 6.
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