OWL PELLET DISSECTION

Analysis of Community Relationships

Name ___________________________________________________________ Date ______________

Objectives:
 Define the following terms: dichotomous key, prey, predator, ecosystem, community, producer, primary
consumer, secondary consumer, decomposer, carbon cycle
 Recognize anatomical features of rodent species used in classification.
 Use a dichotomous key to identify animal species.
 Describe relationships between prey and predator species in an ecosystem.
 Trace the carbon cycle through a predator/prey relationship, using the concepts of producer, primary
consumer, secondary consumer, and decomposer.

Introduction:

Owls are nocturnal predators. They use efficient eyesight and hearing to locate mice and other small animals
that are also active at night. When they capture prey, they tear it into bite-sized pieces and swallow it. At least
12 hours later, indigestible bones, teeth, hair and feathers are coughed up in firm pellets, while the soft parts of
the prey are digested. By identifying the remains in the pellets, one can study the owl’s food habits (and the
habits of its prey). These predators specialize in small mammals, though birds, fish, and insects may also be
eaten.

In this lab, you will examine the skeletal remains found in a virtual owl pellet, assemble the skeleton and use
inference to determine the impact this predator has on its ecosystem.

Instructions:

1. Click the following link to access the virtual owl pellet dissection: http://kidwings.com/virtual-pellet/

2. Click “Owl Facts” and then click “What is an Owl Pellet?” Click and read through each subpage. Use this
information to answer questions 1-7 below.

3. Click the back arrow at the top of the information screen and then click the red and yellow arrow button to
access the owl pellet dissection (make sure the barn owl and vole are indicated in the screens, see Figure 1
below). Click on the owl pellet in the bottom left corner several times to remove the fur from around the
bones in the pellet.

Figure 1.

4. Once the fur is removed, follow the onscreen instructions to pull out each bone and match it to the location
on the left of the screen to assemble the rodent skeleton.
5. Write down at least two “Fun Facts” from the scrolling banner above the dissection screen for question
number 8 below.

6. Once you have finished, take a screenshot of your accomplishment badge and paste the picture in the space
for question 10 below.

7. Finally, answer the associated ecological questions (10-11) about the owl and its role in its community.

Questions:
1. What is an owl pellet?

2. True or False (circle one): Owls chew their food.

3. List at least 5 species that make pellets other than owls.

4. What can dissecting an owl pellet tell you about ecology and anatomy?

5. Why are barn owl pellets a good choice for dissection?

6. What are 2 common prey species of the barn owl?

7. Why are barn owl pellets less than ideal to dissect?

8. Give two “Fun Facts” about owls (these facts are scrolling above the dissection page)!

9. Insert a screenshot or snip of your accomplishment badge in the space below.

10. What living species (plants and animals) might be affected if a disease drastically reduced the owl
population of the country?

11. In the space below, diagram a food web (not a food chain) including at least 3 producers (plants/algae),
4 primary consumers (animals that eat plants), 2 secondary consumers (carnivores) and 1 top predator
(carnivore). Include an owl and two different prey species in the web and label them appropriately.
Provide both the name of the species and a picture for each species in your web. Remember, producers
are at the bottom and top predators are at the top. Additionally, arrows always point from the organism
being eaten to the organism that is eating it.