- 1). Don latex gloves, and a dust mask. Ideally, you should have obtained your pellets from a reputable dealer, who will ensure that these pellets can't transmit rodent-borne hantavirus.
- 2). Begin to pull apart your pellets with your hands, slowly and carefully. This tiny pellet is filled with small, fragile bones that you'll want to preserve for identification later. If the pellet proves to be too hard, you may consider soaking the pellet in water to soften it.
- 3). Separate the mess of fur, feathers, and bones with tweezers. As you break the pellet into smaller and smaller pieces, you can soak your pellets in water to remove the fur and feathers from the bones. Place the bones gently to one side, in a clean container or on paper towels.
- 4). Use pre-printed diagrams of rodent skeletons to try and identify the bones, and who they once belonged to. Owls feed on mice, voles and small birds, and the contents of their latest meal can be discerned from the different sizes and proportions of the bones found in their pellets.
- 5). Attempt to construct a whole skeleton. You may require multiple pellets.
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