1. OWL PELLET INVESTIGATION

2. Learning Goals 1.Dissect one complete pellet of a barn owl 2.Identify the animal(s) whose bones are found in the pellets 3.Identify individual bones of animal(s) and show where they belong in the skeleton 4.Explore a real-life example of food webs and chains

3. OWL PELLETS Owl pellets are masses of bone, teeth, hair, feathers, and exoskeletons of various animals preyed upon by raptors.

4. OWL PELLETS These pellets are the undigestable parts of an owl’s meal that the bird will then regurgitate.

5. OWL PELLET The owl will first capture the prey before ripping them apart with his sharp beak and swallowing large chunks.

6. OWL PELLET These chunks make their way down the esophagus which secretes juices onto the food. The food then moves to the gizzard, which separates what the owl can digest from what it can’t.

8. OWL PELLET The digestable portion continues on through the digestive tract. The undigestable part forms into a round pellet. This pellet moves back into the proventriculus where it will stay for many hours.

9. OWL PELLET Before the owl can eat again, he must regurgitate the pellet. The owl appears to be in great pain and seems like he can not breathe during this process, but once the pellet is out, it is okay. YouTube Video: Baby owl ejects pelletYouTube Video: Baby owl ejects pellet

10. OWL PELLET Looking into the pellet can give some idea of what the owl has eaten.

11. OWL PELLET Owls are a type of raptor. These are also called birds of prey. Some other raptors are falcons, vultures, hawks, and eagles.

12. OWL PELLET Barn owls are very common and pellets are numerous. A barn owl can usually be found in many habitats, but commonly in open woods.

13. OWL PELLET Barn owls usually eat small ground mammals such as voles, shrews, and mice. These animals usually eat things like insects, nuts and berries, and sometimes worms.

14. OWL PELLET Owl’s eyes so advanced that owls can catch prey in total darkness. Owls also have very sensitive ear openings. They can also rotate their heads about 270 degrees, giving them a wide range of vision.

16. Helpful Links Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection: http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm Owl Pellets Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FENowCc- A8M&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FENowCc- A8M&feature=related Owl Pellet Dissection Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPm689pxjV4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPm689pxjV4 Owl Pellet Lab Directions Online: http://crescentok.com/staff/jaskew/isr/biology/bpellet.htm http://crescentok.com/staff/jaskew/isr/biology/bpellet.htm Dirty Jobs: Owl Vomit Collector: http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-owl-vomit- collector.html http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-owl-vomit- collector.html

17. Lab Partners AJ and Mia Donn Daivid and Olegue Sheldon and Nicholas Trinity and Czarina Cole and Alex Kathleen and Natalia Thomas and Joseph Sam and Shane Tyrone and Anthony Khurey and Kristeena Lindsay and Kiara Aryanna and Kyla