Owl Pellets

In science class, we are going to take apart owl pellets! No, owl pellets are not what comes out when you use the bathroom. Owls cannot chew their food, just like other birds, so they swallow their prey whole (in case you didn't know, owls are carnivores). Their digestive system separates the meat from the bones and fur or feathers. The owl then coughs up the remains in a pellet, kind of like a cat's hairball. Now that you know what an owl pellet is, I'm going to tell you what we have to do. We work with a partner for this assignment. We basically have to take the pellet apart and take out the bones. Then we have to figure out what bones they are and figure out what the owl ate for breakfast (or lunch or dinner).

For a virtual pellet disection, go to the following link:
http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/index.htm