A neat predator?

SpiderGuy814

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
27
SO im visiting my mother in AZ and i go outside in her backyard to some empty plant pots she has in the corner. about three of them. inside the middle one i find a bird's skull, in the one on the right i find the wings or a wing and the one on the left I found more parts couldnt really ID those but in front of the pot on the right was a 3 toed leg bone lol...

Do predatory animals usually separate their food this neatly? I think i might go buy some latex gloves and take all the pieces out so yall can see if anyone is even interested in this...

just thought id post it.
 

Crysta

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Messages
1,475
hm well something could have killed it and ants or some type of dermside beetles could have cleaned it up.

Or ask your mom if she's killed any chickens lately. .. lol
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 20, 2010
Messages
424
I have actually witnessed predatory birds, hawks and owls, neatly dismembering the bony parts like tails, feet, and so on from squirrels and other rodents, and could presumably see one doing something similar to another bird species. Other than that, there are other carrion eating predators who might do the same thing or Bobcats, seeing how it is AZ and all. It would be interresting to see the remains though{D!
 

Ookamii

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 6, 2010
Messages
104
Im highly interested, preditory animals that are OCD with food? lol how big was the bird? i would love to see the skull from it.
 

SpiderGuy814

Arachnopeon
Joined
Nov 21, 2010
Messages
27
Im highly interested, preditory animals that are OCD with food? lol how big was the bird? i would love to see the skull from it.
it was the average size of a regular arizona bird but it wasnt a morning dove more of the slim type when I get back to arizona ill get the parts out for everyone and take pictures with my new camera.
 

pitbulllady

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
May 1, 2004
Messages
2,290
You know that owls can't digest bones, right? They puke them back up, intact, inside little capsules wrapped in also-indigestible hair or feathers, called "owl pellets". The hair or feathers quickly can be washed or blown away, leaving only bones, which are often articulated. With a larger prey animal, the owl will dismember it to eat, so you will find more pellets containing various parts of the prey's skeleton, all the flesh completely removed, clean as a whistle, as they say. It's fun to dissect owl pellets and then reassemble the bones into a complete skeleton, and then play "CSI" and try to identify the animal it came from. Sometimes, though, you might get a rather unpleasant surprise...like the skeleton of a small puppy or cat, or bits and pieces of some pet's collar along with the bones. When I taught a G&T Science summer class years ago, we dissected owl pellets, and the kids would get really bummed when they'd find remains of someone's cute little lap dog or kitty cat, but hey, keep the pets inside or watch closely over them when they're outdoors, and they won't wind up being part of a science project!

pitbulllady
 

kevin91172

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Messages
407
You know that owls can't digest bones, right? They puke them back up, intact, inside little capsules wrapped in also-indigestible hair or feathers, called "owl pellets". The hair or feathers quickly can be washed or blown away, leaving only bones, which are often articulated. With a larger prey animal, the owl will dismember it to eat, so you will find more pellets containing various parts of the prey's skeleton, all the flesh completely removed, clean as a whistle, as they say. It's fun to dissect owl pellets and then reassemble the bones into a complete skeleton, and then play "CSI" and try to identify the animal it came from. Sometimes, though, you might get a rather unpleasant surprise...like the skeleton of a small puppy or cat, or bits and pieces of some pet's collar along with the bones. When I taught a G&T Science summer class years ago, we dissected owl pellets, and the kids would get really bummed when they'd find remains of someone's cute little lap dog or kitty cat, but hey, keep the pets inside or watch closely over them when they're outdoors, and they won't wind up being part of a science project!

pitbulllady
Yep! I kept owls when I was A young lad, we robbed nests in barns My mom gave me chicken necks to feed,and they puked up all the bones ,and stank! They had a pretty nasty cage.I also feed them and my "Mexican Eagle"?(can not remember the correct name of this crested bird) rejected liver from the slaughter house.Very cool experience none the less...
 
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