Transcript Owl Pellet Lab - Mahopac Central School District

Owl
Pellet
Dissection
What is an Owl Pellet?
• An owl pellet is the feces that is
regurgitate. Owl's cannot digest fur,
feathers and bones, that is the main
reason of regurgitation. An owl will still
produce urea.
• Pellets range in size, it all depends on the
size of the owl and the amount it has
eaten.
Background
• The owl pellets that will be distributed to the students come from
barn owls. Barn owls are medium sized owls with large heads and
long legs. The size of the cranium is due to the enhanced sight
sensitivity for seeing in the dark as well as the vast aural capacity
enabling the owls to hear the faintest sound made by their prey.
• The barn owls are found all across the globe. They are mostly found
in fields and pastures because of the increased rodent population,
their favorite prey. All owls have an interesting way of dealing with
their food. After digesting the nutritious parts of the small animals
they eat, they regurgitate all of the undigested parts in a small pellet.
• The pellet is composed of bones, fur and teeth. Because barn owls
don't tear their prey to pieces, there is always a complete skeleton of
at least on rodent in every pellet. Every bone from the skull to the
last tip of the tailbone can be found. A good observer with a little
patience will be able to piece together the incredible skeletal
masterpiece. sources: Human Body Module FOSS 1992 Edition
Objectives
• This activity is designed to give students a
"hands-on" interaction with the process of
different animal digestions, the skeletal
system, predator and prey anatomy and
how its anatomy is tailored for its survival.
Bones to Look for.
Animal
Shrew
House Mouse
Vole
Deer mouse
Mole
Rat
Bird
Insect
Other
Total
Total pellets
Average/pellet
Lab Group
Class Total
1
5.5
28.5
3.5
0
0
0
0
0
38.5
10
3.85
Total%
2.6
14.3
74
9.1
0
0
0
0
0
-
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ec
In
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Bi
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se rew
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D
ee Vo
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Produce Graphs
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Series1
Produce Graphs
Shrew
House mouse
Vole
Deer mouse
Mole
Rat
Bird
Insect
Other
Create a Food web Using the
following data
Eats
Taken by
Grass
Converts Radiant energy
Grasshopper, vole, deer
mouse, house mouse,
Gopher, DDD
Seeds
Converts Radiant energy
beetle, vole, deer mouse,
Gopher, songbirds, DDD
grasshopper Grass, Seeds
Shrew, songbirds, DDD
Beetle
Seeds
Shrew, songbirds, DDD
Garter Snake
Deer mouse, vole, beetle
Owl, DDD
gopher
Grass, seeds
Barn owl, DDD
shrew
Beetle, grasshopper, vole,
Barn owl, DDD
deer mouse, house mouse,
songbirds
seeds, grasshopper, Beetle
Barn owl, DDD
Deer mouse
Grass, seeds
Barn owl, DDD
vole
Grass, seeds
Shrew, Barn owl, DDD
Barn owl
?
DDD
Food Chain
Food web
Food web
• An ecological pyramid is constructed
based on one of three types of data:
– number of organisms
– the amount of biomass
– amount of energy.
• Each feeding (trophic) level passes
10% of its stored energy to the next
level.
– Therefore, if the producers had 10,000
units (calories) of available energy,
– the herbivores would receive 1000 units,
– the primary carnivores 100 units
– the secondary carnivores 10 units.
-end
Extra credit
• Create a game using the
previous data with the
objective of creating a
game (with explained
rules) to teach about food
webs and ecological
relationships
– Cards should be made
Grass
Eat:
Converts Radiant energy
Taken by:
Grasshopper, beetle, vole,
deer mouse, house
mouse, Gopher, DDD
Virtual
• http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/barno
wl/index2.htm
• http://www.cnr.vt.edu/forsite/owlpellet/josh/
josh1.HTM
Sites Used for Pictures and
References
• http://www.cnr.vt.edu/forsite/owlpellet/josh/
josh2.htm
• http://www.eelsinc.org/id43.html
• http://www.scienceman.com/pgs/archive21
_owlpellet.html
• http://cas.bellarmine.edu/tietjen/Laboratori
es/Owls2/owl_lab.htm