Barn Owl Pellets as an Indicator of Small Mammal Community Structure in Eastern Tennessee

This study seeks to assess the utility of owl pellets as indicators of small mammal community structure in northeastern Tennessee. Barn Owl (Tyto alba) pellets collected in 1997 from the movie theatre attic of the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee were dissected and small mammal species present were identified and community (assemblage) structure determined. The results of this analysis were then compared with those obtained in small mammal surveys conducted in similar habitats using other methods to ascertain degree of similarity.