Owl Pellet Dissection

Owl pellets are not all the same size.

Pre-Lab Research:

• Study the directions, diagrams, pictures and links provided on this lab key.
• See an owl holding its prey.
• Study this website about the owl digestion
• Other websites that may be helpful.
  • The Raptor Center
  • The Owl Pages
  • Animal Diversity Web

1. Your first goal is to get all of the bones separated from the fir.

• Twist the pellet to break it into two or three pieces.
• Be careful not to break any whole bones.
• Use probe and tweezers to pick out the bones.
• When you think you have all the bones out, rub the fir between your fingers. If you feel anything hard, it's a bone. You need them all!
• Discard the fir and place the bones on a clean sheet of paper.

• skulls and jaws
• vertebrae
• ribs
• hips and shoulders
• legs
• feet and toes

click picture for bone details

3. How many animals are represented in your pellet?

• Use the bones to support your answer in the conclusion.

4. What species of animals are found in your pellet?

• Use these pictures and identify the animals in your conclusion.

Some of the possible prey animals are:

• A simple dichotomous key of mammal skulls found in owl pellets.
• White-Footed Mouse
• Short-Tailed Shrew
• Meadow Vole
• Eastern Woodrat
• Norway Rat
• Eastern Mole

Conclusion:

• Is the lab hypothesis correct? Use bones from your pellet to support your answer.
• How many animals were represented in your pellet? Use the bones to support your answer.
• What species of animals were represented in your pellet?
• Do you have the bones to make a complete skeleton?