step into my classroom: what a hoot!

Yesterday and today my life science class dissected owl pellets. What is an owl pellet? Don't worry, it's not what it sounds like. Owls, like all birds, swallow their prey whole. The problem with not having teeth is that not everything can be digested by the bird's gizzard. As a result, things like fur, bones, beaks, etc. of eaten animals get compacted into a little ball and expelled through the owl's mouth. Kind of like a cat hawking up a furball. So, dissecting an owl pellet involves breaking apart the furball and trying to identify the various bones within. It's common to find multiple skeletons or not a complete skeleton inside a pellet, so it's sort of like a treasure hunt. I thought it would be a perfect segue between our study of vertebrates, which we wrapped up this week, and ecosystems, which we will begin after experiental learning week. Here are just a few shots from the excitement that was dissecting the owl pellets. To see the rest, visit my new Germany album on Facebook (these pictures are near page 4 of the album).