I did try searching the forum first, but could not find an answer. I believe I found an owl pellet in my yard (posted the obs here https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/255910403 ). I used a glove to collect it after photographing it because I’m interested in checking out the skeletal remains that…

If you don’t have dissection equipment, I’d just use a thin nail or toothpick (two of either) to tease apart the pellet and separate any bones or maybe insect parts from matted hair. Do it in a shallow tray. You can store the bones/ hard parts in a plastic vial, like a medicine bottle and discard …

I use two tweezers so I can grab and pull. Lucky find!

Yeah … Tweezers are better if you have a couple.

Knowing me, I’d carry it home where I have several tweezers of different sizes and ends. Getting it home without making a mess would be my challenge. If I have my pack strapped to my waist (I usually do while walking) I know I have a small paper bag just for cool finds. Sure, I’d use sticks or what…

I’d put on a pair of gloves and go hack at it with a toothpick… but this is probably a bad idea. Good thing I don’t find any pellets.

Thanks, everyone! I have it stored in a plastic container for the evening and I will work on it tomorrow with toothpicks and tweezers. I’ll post photos back here of what I end up with. Can’t wait to see what’s there!

Thank you! I’m going to do this tomorrow. I thought it was a small rodent mandible as well, but then it looked like there were nails in there that looked similar to what was in what I thought was a mandible so I’m not sure (and wondered if it was perhaps a bird). I’ll post photos here of the bones o…

I found a bunch of pellets a few years ago and picked them up for my summer campers to dissect. Thankfully someone in my buildling put a perfectly fine toaster oven in our trash room so I was able to sterilize them in that (it gets pretty stinky, I’m not sure I’d use my own oven). Using some robust…

Agree with the toothpicks. It’s what we use with kids at the science center where I work.

If too hardened, it helps to store them 24-48 hrs in a closed box next to wet cotton balls, to rehydrate them a bit. Usual hygiene measures apply!

Thank you! Yes, I think I’m going to pass on the oven idea for that very reason (smell). Hoping to dissect tonight. Thanks for the link, too.

How to Dissect an Owl Pellet?

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How to Dissect an Owl Pellet?

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