4-H Wildlife Project

The wildlife group is currently investigating owl pellets. As Amy wrote previously, "Owl pellets are fur balls that owls cough up. You can find bones from animals that the owl ate in owl pellets. Usually, the owl pellets that the owls cough up are from field mice and voles. You find fur, skulls, teeth, and bones from feet, legs and other parts of mice. You can take owl pellets apart by getting them wet first and then using two tooth picks to tear it apart."

The Great Search

We searched for owl pellets along the tree row across from the Explorit Science Center and the nearby greenbelt.

The search begins. I've found one! What, a baby hunting too?


The Treasure

a cat skull and owl pellets
pellets and a skull (cat) too!
a nest that fell from a recent storm
a fallen nest
another skull
another cool skull (rodent)

Projects for Spring Show

We dissected pellets and found rodent bones to form various projects:

projects on display at Spring Show 2003
Spring Show Projects

Sorting bones for a Spring Show Display
sorting and labeling vole bones
a vole skeleton
vole skeleton from owl pellet bones
labeled parts of a vole skeleton
a closer look

Return to Project List