How do you dissect a pellet?

Materials:

Materials: Tweezers, needles, or forceps
Warm water (optional)
Magnifying glass
Bowls or paper to separate objects from pellet
Owl Pellets
Bone chart

Procedure: If you have store bought pellets that are extremely hard you may soak them in warm water to help soften it. You can pull apart a hard pellet, but you need to be careful. Remove the pieces of bone from the owl pellet and place them in a bowl or on a piece of paper for safe keeping. Continue to break the pellet apart being careful to look for tiny bones.
After the bones have been completely removed from the pellet, consult a bone chart to find out what rodent the owl ate. If time allows, try to reassemble the rodent, see picture below.

Be sure to have children wash their hands thoroughly after dissecting the pellets.