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Download and print this great guide or project it in your classroom! Includes overview of barn owl pellets, bone identification charts, a certificate of accomplishment, and more.
Citation preview
Exploring Prey & Predator Relationships
Owl Pellet Dissection Lab
1 Proventriculus
2 Ventriculus (gizzard)
3 Liver
4 Pancreas
5 Intestines
6 Cloaca
7 Vent
8 Kidney
9 Heart
10 Lungs
10
1
8
2
6
7
4
5
3
9
Owl pellets are a product of the unique digestion system of
birds. Owls and other birds cannot chew their food as many
animals do. They have to swallow their smaller prey whole
and tear larger prey into pieces. An owl’s food travels
directly into their digestive system.
Bird stomachs consist of two parts. The first part
is the glandular stomach or proventriculus,
which produces enzymes, acids, and mucus that
begin the process of digestion.
The second part is the muscular stomach,
called the ventriculus, more commonly called
a gizzard. There are no digestive glands in the
gizzard. In birds of prey, the gizzard is useful as a
filter, holding back insoluble items such as bones,
fur, teeth and feathers.
The softer parts of the bird’s diet are ground by
muscular contractions, and allowed to pass through
to the rest of the digestive system, which includes
the small and large intestine. The liver
and pancreas secrete digestive enzymes into
the small intestine where the food is absorbed into
body as energy.
1
2
5
4
3
The Formation of Owl Pellets
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .24
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
1 Proventriculus
2 Ventriculus (gizzard)
3 Liver
4 Pancreas
5 Intestines
6 Cloaca
7 Vent
8 Kidney
9 Heart
10 Lungs
10
1
8
2
6
7
4
5
3
9
Owl pellets are a product of the unique digestion system of
birds. Owls and other birds cannot chew their food as many
animals do. They have to swallow their smaller prey whole
and tear larger prey into pieces. An owl’s food travels
directly into their digestive system.
Bird stomachs consist of two parts. The first part
is the glandular stomach or proventriculus,
which produces enzymes, acids, and mucus that
begin the process of digestion.
The second part is the muscular stomach,
called the ventriculus, more commonly called
a gizzard. There are no digestive glands in the
gizzard. In birds of prey, the gizzard is useful as a
filter, holding back insoluble items such as bones,
fur, teeth and feathers.
The softer parts of the bird’s diet are ground by
muscular contractions, and allowed to pass through
to the rest of the digestive system, which includes
the small and large intestine. The liver
and pancreas secrete digestive enzymes into
the small intestine where the food is absorbed into
body as energy.
1
2
5
4
3
The Formation of Owl Pellets
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 25
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
When the owl is ready to gag up the pellet, it will turn
its head at an angle or to the side and open its beak.
Owls will often close their eyes and the facial discs will
narrow. They rarely leave their perch during this
process.
Stretching its neck, the owl’s beak
opens wide and the pellet pops out
with little fanfare.
At the end of the digestive tract (after the large intestine)
is the Cloaca (klo-A-ka), a holding area for Uric acid,
also know as Urea. Urea excretions are the white bird
droppings we see on buildings and below perches. This
form of excretion helps minimize water loss.
The cloaca opens to the outside by means of the
vent.
Several hours after eating, the indigestible
parts (fur, bones, teeth & feathers that are still in
the gizzard) are formed into a pellet the same
shape as the gizzard. This pellet travels up from
the gizzard back to the proventriculus where it can
remain up to ten hours before being gagged up.
1
2
Scientists have concluded that the pellet
remains in the bird’s system until all the
nutrition has been absorbed into the bird’s
system.
How does the Owl Expel the Pellet?
Typically, an owl will not eat more prey until it has
emptied it’s system of the previous meal. If they do
eat more, that food will be compacted into the
previous remains. For that reason, pellets can range
in size from under an inch to as many as four
inches, and contain up to 4 to 5 prey! Owl Pellet
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .26
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When the owl is ready to gag up the pellet, it will turn
its head at an angle or to the side and open its beak.
Owls will often close their eyes and the facial discs will
narrow. They rarely leave their perch during this
process.
Stretching its neck, the owl’s beak
opens wide and the pellet pops out
with little fanfare.
At the end of the digestive tract (after the large intestine)
is the Cloaca (klo-A-ka), a holding area for Uric acid,
also know as Urea. Urea excretions are the white bird
droppings we see on buildings and below perches. This
form of excretion helps minimize water loss.
The cloaca opens to the outside by means of the
vent.
Several hours after eating, the indigestible
parts (fur, bones, teeth & feathers that are still in
the gizzard) are formed into a pellet the same
shape as the gizzard. This pellet travels up from
the gizzard back to the proventriculus where it can
remain up to ten hours before being gagged up.
1
2
Scientists have concluded that the pellet
remains in the bird’s system until all the
nutrition has been absorbed into the bird’s
system.
How does the Owl Expel the Pellet?
Typically, an owl will not eat more prey until it has
emptied it’s system of the previous meal. If they do
eat more, that food will be compacted into the
previous remains. For that reason, pellets can range
in size from under an inch to as many as four
inches, and contain up to 4 to 5 prey! Owl Pellet
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 27
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© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .28
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Barn Owl pellets havebeen chosen because theseowlsswallowsmallrodentsandbirds whole, and the resultingpellets generally contain thecompleteskeletonsoftheirprey.Pellets begin forming withinthe digestive tract of an owl assoon as the prey is swallowed.Enzymatic juices break downthebodytissuesinthepreybutleavethebonymaterialsandhairorfeathersundigested.Dependingupon the prey eaten, the undigested portions may include beaks,claws,scales,orinsectexoskeletons.Thistypeofmaterialhaslittlenutritionalvalueandmustbe“gagged”fromthesystem. Predatorymammalssuchasbobcatsandwolveshaveteethtogrindupbonesandclaws,andadigestivetractadaptedtopassthesegroundparts.Owls,ontheotherhand,donothaveteethforgrindingandcannotpasswholeboneandclawsthroughtheirdigestivetractsafely.Instead,thesematerialsformapelletthatissurroundedwiththehairorfeathersofthepreyconsumed.Thepelletisthenorallyexpelled,orgagged,andtheowlbeginsfeedingagain.
You will need the following items in order to conduct a Barn Owl Discovery Kit Pellet Lab:
OBDKBoneIdentificationCharts ToaidinpreyidentificationPencil TorecordfindingsCleansheetofpaper ToplaceextractedbonesonTwoprobes ToloosenfurfrombonesTweezers ToextractbonesawayfromfurMagnifyingglass ToidentifybonetypePapertowels ToabsorbexcesswaterAntibacterialwipes TosanitizeworkstationWhiteglue TosecurebleachedbonestobonechartTubofwaterdilutedbleach Towhitenextractedbones
Owl Pellet Dissection Lab
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 29
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Scientistsandteacherstakeadvantageofthisuniqueprocessbycollectingthesepelletsandexaminingtheircontents.Sinceowlsarenotveryselectivefeeders,thesepelletscanbeusedinavarietyofinstructionalsettings.Thecontentsareadirectindicationofwhatanowlhasfedon.Aone-yearstudyofaparticularBarnOwlrevealedthefollowingdiet:1,407mice,143rats,7bats,5youngrabbits,375housesparrows,23starlings,54otherbirds,2lizards,174frogs,25moths,and52crickets.
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .30
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Constructing a Food Web
Animalsthateatotherorganismsforenergyandgrowtharecalledconsumers.Therearethreeconsumerlevelsfoundinafoodweb:primary,secondaryandtertiary.Primaryconsumersareusu-allyherbivores;theyfeedonphotosyntheticproductssuchasgrassand seeds. Secondary consumers gulp down primary consumers.And tertiaryconsumers (carnivores)devoursecondaryconsumersandareusuallyfoundatthetopofthefoodchain.HereisanexampleofafoodwebincludingtheBarnOwl.
ExErCisE 1: Whatothercarnivoresandherbivoreswouldyouaddtothefoodweb?
Listingtheseothers,constructafoodweb,withtheBarnOwlatthetop.
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 31
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What’s on the Outside? Beforeyoudissectthepellet,examinetheoutsideofthepel-let forclues towhere itwasgathered.Pelletsarecollected fromavarietyofplacesaroundthecountry.UsethechartbelowtoseeifyoucandeterminewheretheBarnOwlmighthavegaggedyourpellet.
What you might find:
MiloSeeds→
Grain→
Dirt→
HayorStraw→
Feathers→
Pineneedles→
Where owl gagged the pellet:
Opensheds
Grainelevator
Cutbanksandundertrees
Barnsandhaysheds
Man-madenestingboxes
Underevergreentrees
ExErCisE 2:1.Onyourpieceofpaper,writedownthecluesthatmightindicatewhereyourpelletwasgathered.
2.Canyouidentifyotheritemsstucktotheoutsideofthepellet?
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .32
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
ExErCisE 3: Labelacleansheetofpaperforeachpelletyoudissect,forexample,pelletone,pellettwo,etc.Note: If you find that the pellets do not come apart easily, you can soak them in warm water to soften them.
Using the probes pro-vided,begintoloosenthehairoftheowlpellet.Asbonesareun-covered, carefully remove themusing your tweezers and placethem onto a properly labeledsheetofpaper. Take extra care to keepskulls intactandnearthemandi-bles(seeOwlBrandDiscoveryKitBoneIdentificationCharts). Continuetoextractbonesfromthehairof theprey.Onceyouhave foundall thebones,youcanbegin identifying thembycomparingthemtotheillustrationsonthechartsprovided.
What’s on the inside?
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 33
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
ExErCisE 4:
1. Keepthebonesfromeachpreyitemseparatebysetting eachsetontoaseparateclean(labeled)sheetofpaper.2. Placethebonesintoatubofdilutedbleachtowhitenthem.(BleachingisOptional)3. Aftertheboneshavebeencleaned,setthemontoaseparatedrypapertowel.4. UsingamagnifyingglassandtheOwlBrandDiscoveryKitsBoneIdentificationCharts,trytoidentifythetypeofskeletonthatwasfoundinyourowlpellet.5. UsewhitegluetoattachthebonestothecorrectBoneIdentificationChart.
Bleaching & Mounting the Bones to your Owl Brand Bone identification Charts
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .34
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
CLAVICLE
SKULL(top view)
FEMUR
SCAPULA PELVIS
HUMERUS
TIBIO TARSUS
FIBULA
MANDIBLE
ULNA
RADIUS
BIRD
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 35
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
MOLEScaparus orarius
MANDIBLE
SKULL(top view)
FEMUR
PELVIS
HUMERUS
SCAPULA
CLAVICLE
FIBULA
TIBIA
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .36
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
MOUSEMicrotus
FEMUR
SCAPULA
CLAVICLE
PELVIS
SKULL(top view)
HUMERUS
RADIUS
ULNA
FIBULA
TIBIA
SKULL(side view)
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 37
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
RATMicrotus
SKULL(side view)
SKULL(top view)
FEMUR
PELVIS
HUMERUSSCAPULA
CLAVICLE
FIBULA
TIBIA
RADIUS
ULNA
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .38
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
SHREWSorex vagrans
MANDIBLE
SKULL(top view)
FEMUR
PELVIS
HUMERUS
SCAPULA
CLAVICLE
RADIUS
ULNA
FIBULA
TIBIA
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 39
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
VOLEMicrotus
MANDIBLE
SKULL(top view)
FEMUR
PELVIS
HUMERUS
SCAPULA
CLAVICLE
RADIUS
ULNA
FIBULA
TIBIA
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion .40
Owl Brand Discovery Kits
NOTES:
Recognizes:
Student Name Date
For the completion of the Owl Pellet Dissection Lab
Teacher Grade
School
www.obdk.com
© 2011 Owl B r and D i s c ove r y K i t s . A l l r i ght s r e s e r ved . Rep roduc t ion pe rmis s ion f o r educ at ion purpo s e s on l y and not f o r r e s a le o r c ommer c ia l u s e wi thout spec i f i c p e rmis s ion . 41
Owl Pellet Essentials Guidefor Teachers and Students.
Education is not for the timid.Itisrarelytheimpartationofourknowledgeoracitationofourcre-dentials, although we each aretemptedtochoosethatapproach.Morecommonly,effectiveeduca-tion is the ability to inspire andengageour students andcompelthemtobecomeanactualpartofthestory.Theetymologyofedu-cation includes expressions ofbreeding and rearing up; earlyformsof education, beforewrit-ten word, involved imitation asacentral toolofpassingknowl-edgetofuturegenerations.
At Owl Brand, we want to celebrate those who we think do it well.
Beinganeducatorrequiressomethingfromeachofusthattranscendscultures,fashion,trends,andinsteadembracesthetime-lessskillofstorytelling.Whenstoriesaretoldwithdistincttraitsof
humility,contagiousenthusiasm,andapurposefulresult–amoral,thestorycanbecomealifelessonthatremainsinourconsciousness.
When I first met authorsand sisters, Gail McDiarmid andMarilynMcGee, Iknewtheysharedour concern for the complex issuesfacingourfutureineffectiveecologystewardship.Imetthemthroughthe
Proudly Presents:Running For Home
Running Homefor
Can you find the hidden animals in this book,
including the twoon this cover?
by Gail McDiarmid & Marilyn McGeeIllustrated by Durwood Coffey
“The howling of the windis the voice of my brothers.”Author Unknown
for
introductionoftheirengagingbooktitledRunning for Home.Thatintroductionresultedinaninvitationtopresentatthe2013SummerCelebrationweco-hosteachsummerinIdaho.
They traveled from the across the country to IdahowheretheirgoalwastopresentRunningforHome,abookthattacklesthestoryofecologythroughlovablecharactersChinookthewolf,Wapitithe elk and the hilarious raven Mochni.Theoutcomewasmyoutrightadoptionoftheirimportantmessageandtheirconta-giousenthusiasm.
I’mexcitedthatGailandMarilynwill return to help us reachmore chil-dren with their great message and funstyleofteaching,inescapablycentralinthebook.
I’msoprivilegedtorecommendthisfantasticbook.GailandMarilynweresoverykindtoletOwlBrandparticipateintheircre-ativejourneythroughthetalentsofourgraphicartistandfriendofecology,DavidWinfield.Thestoryiscompelling,butjustasimpor-tant,thesesistersworkwithadepthofcompassionandconviction---not just for thereal lifesubjectsdepictedby theircharactersbutalsofortheaudience.
Whenawell-toldstoryandyoungmindscometogether,theresultcanbeprofound.That’saninvestmentIcangetexcitedabout.
Ihopeyou’llconsideritforyourclassroom.
HappyReading!
Chris
3
“Wapiti!” screams the elk’s mother as she runs to her son. Suddenly, the ground collapses beneath his spindly legs and Wapiti plunges into the raging river. Gasping for breath, he surfaces, but the water pulls him back under. The thirty-five pound youngster is on the verge of being swept away. He kicks and jumps frantically and finally makes it safely to the debris-covered embankment.
“Son, are you hurt?” his mother cries, nudging him up the bank to dry ground. As he shakes the water from his tawny brown coat, she says, “You have to stop wandering away.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I just wanted to see what was down there.”
“Rivers are dangerous places for little elk,” his mother says.
A young elk stands dangerously close to the edge of a deep gorge cut by the roaring Lamar River in Yellowstone National Park.
Every spring as the snow melts, the rivers of Yellowstone rush over the barren landscape leaving huge crevices and ditches. Hundreds of elk graze in one area and consume the river-loving woody plants, especially the cottonwoods and willows, rarely allowing their tender shoots to grow tall. The elk’s sharp, point-ed hooves trample the roots which would have helped to anchor the soil and slow down seasonal runoff. The absence of one keystone species in the Yellowstone ecosystem contributes to this problem.
But that is all about to change. Missing for over seventy years, the elk’s primary predator has returned to teach little Wapi-ti and his herd how to run. The movement of the elk away from the rivers will allow the vegetation to grow, restoring the health of the riverbanks.
Renewed again, the timeless agree-ment between these two animals will help to sustain life in the valley.
11
Now, Let’s recap those clues.
The mystery animal:
1. Sounds like...Wind
howling through
the trees
2. Has golden eyes
3. Shares his food
with others
4. Keeps elk on the
move
“What was that?” screams Mochni.
“I don’t know,” exclaims Chinook.
Running For Home (excerpt)
Sendinyournextorderforsterilizedbarnowlpelletsandresourcesbyusingthiseasyformandlockintoday’spricing!UsethissimpleformorvisitusonlineforamorecomprehensiveselectionofOwlBrandproducts.
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Exploring Prey & Predator Relationships
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