Today we finished dissecting owl pellets. Owls are not able to chew the food they eat, which means that the bones, fur, and other hard-to-digest parts of their prey remain in the owl's stomach. Think about the last time you ate a large meal. Remember that heavy feeling in your stomach? Fortunately for us, that feeling eventually goes away as we digest our food. Owls, however, have to regurgitate the left-over parts of their meal before they can eat again. Ewwwwwww. They regurgitate the remains in a small ball called an owl pellet. Inside this pellet are the bones and fur of the last animal the owl ate. Coooooooool.
Like any great scientist, we have spent the past week collecting and interpreting information about owls-- learning about owl habitats, it's life cycle, and the owl's role in the food chain. Then, we made observations about our pellets before finally peeling away the fur. Check out our scientists as they identify the bones! Can you guess what the owl ate last?
Want to dissect your own owl pellet with the mess? Visit this site:
http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm
