DeSoto Intermediate’s 5th-grade classes had an exciting hands-on learning experience last week with an owl pellet dissection! At first, students weren’t told what the mysterious object was, with most guessing it was mud or waste. Students soon learned it was an owl pellet!
Owls swallow their prey whole but can’t digest parts like bones and fur, so they regurgitate them in compact pellets. During the dissection, students pulled apart the pellets and uncovered tiny bones from animals like mice and birds. This discovery aided in learning about food webs, showing how energy flows from one animal to another in nature.
Once an owl spits out its pellet, decomposers like bacteria and fungi break down whatever remains, a topic that sparked further classroom discussions on the crucial role of decomposers. The dissection was not only engaging but also an excellent way for students to see firsthand how predators, prey, and decomposers work together to sustain the flow of energy in nature.
