[NatureNS] scat or pellet

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Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2008 08:45:36 -0400
From: "Randy Lauff" <randy.lauff@gmail.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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News from owl biologists across NA:

Firstly, me: "There does not appear to be any faeces in it...just bone and
fur (and fresh-looking fur at that)."

When I wrote that, I was alluding to two possibilities, a pellet or an old
scat (which often has the soft stuff gone), though I leaned towards pellet
since the fur looked fresh, ruling out an *old* scat. Regurgitated food
would also show meat, etc. A pellet that has been on the ground for awhile
can come apart, so the unruly look to this sample did not rule out a pellet
in my mind; about the large bone fragment:


>  > The only thin that bothers me somewhat is the fractured
> bone...owls aren't good at doing that. It doesn't rule out an owl pellet by
> any means, but it's something to think about.
>

I had six responses from other owl biologists/banders.

Two have found bone fragments in GH Owl pellets, though typically only skull
bones (which are more easily broken than the long bone represented in the
photographed specimen). Having said that, five thought it was old coyote
scat...more typically, they would have fractured bone in them.

Two relayed accounts of scavenging...one finding deer fur in a pellet (well,
we're hoping it wasn't predation...), and one of a N Hawk-owl defending a
deer carcass from ravens. In contrast, another mentioned that in a year of
low food, owls were dying of starvation, yet road kill was abundant.

Randy
_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.

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<div>News from owl biologists across NA:</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Firstly, me: &quot;There does not appear to be any faeces in it...just bone and fur (and&nbsp;fresh-looking fur at that).&quot;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>When I wrote that, I was alluding to two possibilities, a pellet or an old scat (which often has the soft stuff gone), though I leaned towards pellet since the fur looked fresh, ruling out an *old* scat. Regurgitated food would also show meat, etc. A pellet that has been on the ground for awhile can come apart, so the unruly look to this sample did not rule out a pellet in my mind; about&nbsp;the large bone fragment:</div>

<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">
<div>
<div><span class="e" id="q_117e845b43c807fa_1">&gt; The only thin that bothers me somewhat is the fractured bone...owls&nbsp;aren&#39;t good at doing that. It doesn&#39;t rule out an owl pellet by any&nbsp;means, but it&#39;s something to think about.</span></div>
</div></blockquote></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>I had six responses from other owl biologists/banders.<br><br>Two have found bone fragments in GH Owl pellets, though typically only skull bones (which are more easily broken than the long bone represented in the photographed specimen). Having said that, five thought it was old coyote scat...more typically, they would have fractured bone in them.</div>

<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Two relayed accounts of scavenging...one finding deer fur in a pellet (well, we&#39;re hoping it wasn&#39;t predation...), and one of a N Hawk-owl defending a deer carcass from ravens. In contrast, another mentioned that in a year of low food, owls were dying of starvation, yet road kill was abundant.</div>

<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Randy<br>_________________________________<br>RF Lauff<br>Way in the boonies of<br>Antigonish County, NS. </div>

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