0:00:02 > 0:00:05How can wolfbloods run so fast and for so long?
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Why are their senses so intense?
0:00:09 > 0:00:12And why is family so important to them?
0:00:14 > 0:00:17It all comes down to the extraordinary wild wolves
0:00:17 > 0:00:20that they share so many qualities with.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22In this series, we'll uncover the truth about wolves,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25and reveal just why wolfbloods are the way that they are.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28This is Wolfblood Uncovered.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55In this episode, we'll discover
0:00:55 > 0:00:57how wolves explore their environment
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and find out how they sense the world
0:00:59 > 0:01:01in a completely different way to people.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09My character Rhydian
0:01:09 > 0:01:10and his friend Maddy
0:01:10 > 0:01:11are both wolfbloods,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13so they're able to transform into wolves.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16This means they have all the capabilities of wild wolves,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19even in human form - something that really comes in handy for them
0:01:19 > 0:01:22when negotiating teenage life is their incredible senses,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24which they are not afraid to use
0:01:24 > 0:01:27especially when it comes to helping their friends out.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30For example, when Tom was almost caught in Mr Jeffries' office
0:01:30 > 0:01:32trying to take a photo of their English test paper.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Rhydian's super sense of smell came to the rescue.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50..for your foster parents.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51They need to fill in one of these.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57HE SNIFFS
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Here we are. OK.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Right.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Just sign this
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and we'll see about getting you assessed.
0:02:10 > 0:02:17Yes, sir. Do you think you could show me where they should sign?
0:02:17 > 0:02:22- It's...really confusing. - Oh... Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I could even mark it for you.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Doesn't mean you're off the hook though.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30I'll be putting you in detention for setting that alarm off.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Yes, sir.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Not a lot slips passed me in this school, Rhydian!
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Now, do yourself a favour, and concentrate on your education.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Will do, sir.
0:02:40 > 0:02:41If Rhydian wasn't a wolfblood,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44he would never have smelt Tom was hiding in here,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46so wouldn't have known to distract Jefferies,
0:02:46 > 0:02:47so Tom could make a swift getaway.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50But because wolves rely heavily on their sense of smell,
0:02:50 > 0:02:51it's far better than ours,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and that is down to their fabulous smelling apparatus.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59They have long noses, and the area that's dedicated to smelling
0:02:59 > 0:03:02is 14 times bigger than in humans.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Inside are more than 200 million scent receptors.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Researchers estimate that their sense of smell
0:03:08 > 0:03:14could be 10,000 times more sensitive than ours.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16But why does it need to be so good?
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Well, it's all about finding food
0:03:18 > 0:03:20and they're such sensitive smellers
0:03:20 > 0:03:26that they can sniff out prey that's more than three miles away.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28When they're hunting, they're constantly sniffing
0:03:28 > 0:03:32and searching for tell-tale clues that their prey has left behind.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42This moose is well concealed by trees,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44but it's constantly leaving its mark.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50From the tiniest smear of saliva on trees and shrubs
0:03:50 > 0:03:53to the millions of skin and hair cells
0:03:53 > 0:03:55that shower the ground as it walks.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Every step it takes creates a scent print from glands in its feet.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06And even traces of gas can linger.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12When the wolves pick up its scent
0:04:12 > 0:04:14they take long deep sniffs to identify the smell,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16then start following the trail.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Where the moose has rested, it's left even more hair and skin cells
0:04:24 > 0:04:28so the wolves can get another blast of information about its health.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31They inhale deep breaths up onto their millions of scent receptors,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35then blow out onto the area to dislodge extra scent particles.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Lots of hair and skin can tell the wolves
0:04:39 > 0:04:42that the moose is infested with ticks and might be weak.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47On more concentrated areas like footprints,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49they don't want to dilute the scent with their breath,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52so they gently blow air out through slits in the side of their nose.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59When they find a patch of urine,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02they smell for hormones which will help them to age the animal.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Where they find saliva,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13they sniff it to detect if the moose has rotten teeth.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19So, not only can they find and follow their prey
0:05:19 > 0:05:21using their fantastic sense of smell,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25they can even detect if a prey animal is old, sick or injured.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32That's pretty impressive stuff.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34No wonder the wolfbloods have such a good sense of smell.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36But what about their other senses?
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Well, Maddy and Rhydian also have especially good hearing,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42which has helped them get out of trouble more than once!
0:05:42 > 0:05:45When Rhydian was accused of vandalising a school art exhibition,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Maddy was able to take advantage of his excellent hearing
0:05:48 > 0:05:50to help him with an alibi.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'You were seen...
0:05:59 > 0:06:02hanging around...
0:06:02 > 0:06:05on Friday night.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I came... but then I changed my mind.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11So, Mr and Mrs Vaughan, they drove you here and back?
0:06:11 > 0:06:12I made my own way.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14You walked?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16From Stoneybridge?
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Don't call me a liar!
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- WHISPERS:- Rhydian! Calm down.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Don't let on that you can hear me.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31What happened on Friday night was a serious matter, Rhydian.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35- A criminal matter.- I didn't do it. - Calm down!- Shut up!
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- I beg your pardon?! - You can't just accuse me!
0:06:38 > 0:06:41I'm simply asking you, young man,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43to explain where you were and why.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47I'm trying to help you, Rhydian!
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Keep breathing. Stay calm.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50DOOR CLOSES
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Just think about lying in a green field in the sun.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01What exactly is so funny? You are trying my patience!
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Rhydian! Are you OK?
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Last chance, Rhydian!
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Where were you on Friday?
0:07:15 > 0:07:17OK, what you need to say is...
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I said, I came on my own.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Maddy's parents gave me a lift home.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Yeah. That's right.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Call them.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28They'll back me up.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43RINGING TONE
0:07:43 > 0:07:45PHONE RINGS
0:07:45 > 0:07:46Hello?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Mr Jefferies. What's the matter?
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Seems you were telling the truth.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05You cut that a bit fine, young lady.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Yeah. Sorry, Mum.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Thanks.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Even though Maddy was outside the office, and the door was closed,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14she could still hear everything that was being said inside,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and Rhydian could still hear her whispering.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21And that's because, like wolves, their hearing is very sensitive.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25WOLF HOWLS
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Wolves communicate and defend their territory by howling
0:08:34 > 0:08:36and it's thought that they can hear each other
0:08:36 > 0:08:38as much as six miles away in the forest,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40and ten miles away in open areas.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49They can move their triangular-shaped ears independently
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and in all directions -
0:08:51 > 0:08:54back and forward and from side to side.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57This helps them to pinpoint where the sound is coming from
0:08:57 > 0:09:00and focus in on it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02They can also hear a huge range of sounds -
0:09:02 > 0:09:05from ultra-high to super-low frequencies.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Picking up on sounds that we simply can't hear.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14The low frequencies in howls can travel the furthest,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16because they can penetrate obstacles
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and reach other wolves from vast distances away.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22HOWLING
0:09:22 > 0:09:24And it's not just hearing and smell,
0:09:24 > 0:09:25their eyesight is very good too.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31They can recognise an individual wolf from 800m away
0:09:31 > 0:09:32which is useful for a pack animal,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36because it means that they can distinguish animals they know
0:09:36 > 0:09:38from animals they don't.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Their peripheral vision and ability to detect moving objects
0:09:43 > 0:09:46is also excellent.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Their night vision is much better than ours,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52enabling them to hunt just as well by night as in the day.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Their eyes shine because a mirrored layer on the retina
0:09:56 > 0:09:59reflects every bit of available light back into their eye
0:09:59 > 0:10:03and the clear lens in the middle sharpens the image,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05so a night-time scene like this...
0:10:07 > 0:10:09..is perfectly clear to them.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15So, extraordinary senses are invaluable to wolves
0:10:15 > 0:10:18when it comes to finding food and communicating with each other,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and they're pretty useful to wolfbloods, too.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Whether it's listening in on conversations,
0:10:22 > 0:10:23or tracking people down,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26there's no doubt that having these supersenses gives wolfbloods
0:10:26 > 0:10:29a clear advantage over their friends.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Look around.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Everything you thought made you a freak -
0:10:36 > 0:10:38sight...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40hearing...
0:10:40 > 0:10:42speed...
0:10:42 > 0:10:44sense of smell -
0:10:47 > 0:10:50..they're all completely normal for a wolfblood.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd