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Article: Owl leftovers.(Math And Critical-Thinking Skills)
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- November 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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OWL LEFTOVERS
You read in "Night Owl" (p. 12) that barn owls are ace in nabbing prey. What do they eat? A younger owl will sometimes eat 12 mice, while an adult will eat one large rat per night. Other prey that are on the owl's menu: shrews, moles, baby rabbits, frogs, lizards, insects, and birds.
Although an owl eats its prey whole, it cannot digest the animal's bones and hair. About 8 to 12 hours after eating its meal, the bird regurgitates an owl pellet, or a package consisting of bones and fur. You can learn a lot about an owl's feeding habits by analyzing the contents in these pellets. Students at Chinook Middle School in Lacey, ...