Skulls & Bones

So I co-taught an Owl Program this morning. The program consisted of an introductory Q&A about owls, talking about some types of owls in the area, and then ending with a dissecting session with owl pellets. Owl pellets are the indigestable remains of their prey. When teeth, skulls, claws, fur, and feathers are too dangerous to pass through the owl's digestive tract, they safely excrete the material by compacting all of it in the gizzard and regurgitating it. The regurgitated mass is called the owl pellet. After the program, we had a whole bunch of pellets that were left over and I was allowed to take some home and dissect myself. Of course, I got Marc involved. I guess me being a nerdy-science person, I was really excited to put on some gloves and open them up. Marc on the other hand was a little grossed out. But I got him to have an open-mind and he really enjoyed this opportunity. We mostly found a lot of small mammal remains! Which is pretty cool to see. I think if we put more time into the dissection, we could probably put a whole skeleton or two together and figure out what the owl actually ate!

TheChristyBel

I think this owl had a mouse or two in its prior meal!