Let me preface this post with a slight caution for parents like me who are not all too keen about touching the tiny skeletons remains of dead animals. Although I harbored many reservations about dissecting these owl pellets which are; brown chunks of soft spongy material about two inches long and one inch wide wrapped in foil that contain the undigested remains of animals including fur, hair, feathers, bones and teeth, I forged ahead in the name of science, and am better for it (or at least that’s why my seven-year-old is telling me)!
Here’s the breakdown:
How it works: Once kids carefully remove the soft material and uncover the bones of the rodent intact, they can examine and even reassemble the animal’s skeletal frame.
The Educational value: It can be great fun for an inquisitive child or a great learning tool for an older child studying anatomy. The enclosed bone sorting ID sheet provides kids with helpful diagrams to follow for assistance and the nine page study guide describes in great detail just how the owl pellets are formed. A magnifying glass and plastic forceps are also included.
Age: Five years and older.
Sex: Surprisingly both!
Time required to complete: Each pellet will take at least 30 minutes to dissect.
Cost: $15.95.
Best Features: A great way to examine, reassemble and identify the skeletons of intact rodent bones without having to dissect an intact animal. The dry fur comes off the bones fairly easily with a toothpick in small pieces. Definitely a hands-on tool for students of anatomy and young biologists in training!
Difficult Features: The pellets consist mostly of fur and therefore they require careful dissection to free up and clean off the bones for examination.
If you would like to order this product, get it here.
