Owl Pellet Dissection - Triton Science (Page 2 of 2) in pdf

Owl Pellet Dissection - Triton Science Page 2

Name ___________________________________________ Date ___________ Period ______

Data:

You can copy this on your own paper

Number of skulls (or pairs of jaws) found in your pellet ___

Species and number of prey found in your pellet

Species

# of individuals

________

_________

________

_________

________

_________

The class record

Total number of prey animals found

______

Total number of pellets examined

______

Average number of prey animals per pellet

_______

Analysis:

1. What part of the prey skeleton was most common in the pellet? Why do you

think that this bone was the most common?

2. Which animal appears to be eaten most frequently by the owl?

3. Assume that an owl forms one pellet each day and that your pellet is average.

How many animals would an owl eat in a week? In a month? In a year?

4. Barn owls are nocturnal species. Do you think that the prey count from the

classroom data is an accurate representation of the prey species available in that

area all day long? Explain your answer.

5. What trophic level does the barn owl occupy?

6. Why do you think farmers like having barn owls on their farm?

7. What would happen to the barn owl population if there were a drought? Explain

your answer.

8. Create a food web that illustrates the species interaction of the organisms you

analyzed.

Conclusion:

Barn owls belong to the group of birds called raptors. These birds are on the top

of the food chain. Pesticides used by farmers can accumulate in the fat of animals in a

process called biological magnification. Use your text and the Internet to look up this

concept and discuss the implications of DDT and the barn owl population.

Owl Pellet Dissection - Triton Science Page 2