Owl Pellet · Hands-On Science!

Phenomenally gross! But it's a great classic hands-on science. Dissect this sanitary owl pellet containing an owl meal's skeletal remains. Learn about the owl's habitat, place in the food chain, and predatory skills. Use some archaeological skills to piece together the skeletons using the bone chart. What is an owl pellet? Owls eat many things they can't digest—the fur, feathers, bills, claws, teeth, skulls, and bones of their prey. Lucky for the owls, 6 to 10 hours after their meal, the indigestible bits form into a pellet in its gizzard (muscular stomach) and then move to its proventriculus (glandular stomach). From there, the owl regurgitates its meal in a compressed pellet, leaving behind handy evidence of the owl's habitat, its place in the food chain, and its predatory skills. This pellet is from a barn owl (Tyto alba) and is gathered from barn and forest floors. How to Examine your pellet Carefully remove the foil wrapping from the pellet. Use the probes to dissect the pellet and extract the owl's dinner. Use the bone guide on the back of this card to identify what the owl ate. NOTE: This owl pellet has been heat sterilized, but wearing latex gloves during your dissection is a good idea. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands after handling the pellet.