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Body Farm - Daniela Mirabal (Osteologist), Tyler Stroud (Meteorologist), Joseph Tanner (Entomologist)

By danielamirabal

  • Day 1 (Fresh Body)

    Temperature: 71 °F
    Wind: 5 mph
    Rain/Cloud: no clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: wet from rain
    Ants: none
    Blowflies: Roughly 5/ no measurements
    Maggots: none
    Physical description: The squirrel is in tact. Not missing limbs. Some intestines coming out of lower belly, and mouth. The squirrel is 23 cm long, 17.75 cm wide. There are no bones exposed.
  • Period: to

    Decomposition Process

    We determined the date because when it was found on the road it had no bugs around it and the blood was still red. On May 2nd, the squirrel was at the first stage of decomposition, fresh body. On May 3rd, the second stage of decomposition, bloating, began. On May 4th active decay began taking place since maggots appeared. On May 5th the squirrel had been dragged and eaten by scavengers. All that was left was the tail therefore were not able to watch the decomposition process further.

  • Day 2 (Bloating)

    Temperature: 73 °F
    Wind: 13 mph
    Rain/Cloud: no clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dew on the ground
    Ants: 0.3 cm
    Blowflies: 1 cm
    Maggots: Roughly 10/ no measurements
    Physical description: The squirrel is in tact. No missing limbs. Flies and ants are crawling all over the squirrel. Flies are all over the open wound on the belly of the squirrel. The squirrel is 23 cm long, and 17.75 cm wide. No bones visible.

  • Day 3

    Temperature: 73 °F
    Wind: 1 mph
    Rain/Cloud: no clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dry ground
    Ants: 0.3 cm
    Blowflies: 1 cm
    Maggots: 0.5 cm
    Physical description: The squirrel is in tact. No missing limbs. Flies and ants are crawling all over the squirrel. Flies are all over the open wound on the belly of the squirrel. The squirrel is 23 cm long, and 17.75 cm wide. No bones visible.

  • Day 4 (Active Decay)

    Temperature: 75 °F
    Wind: 17 mph
    Rain/Cloud: cloudy and rain clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dry
    Ants: 0.3 cm
    Blowflies: 1 cm
    Maggots: 0.5 cm
    Physical description: The squirrel is in tact. No missing limbs. Flies and ants are crawling all over the squirrel. Flies are all over the open wound on the belly of the squirrel. The squirrel is 23 cm long, and 10.5 cm wide. The hole of the wound is darker, and drier than yesterday. The process of decay, putrefaction, has begun.

  • Day 5 (Dry Remains)

    Temperature: 75 °F
    Wind: 4 mph
    Rain/Cloud: no clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dry
    Ants: none
    Blowflies: none
    Maggots: none
    Physical description: The squirrel was dragged 100 ft from its previous location. The remains were the tail and a few undetermined parts of the squirrel.

  • Day 6

    Temperature: 81 °F
    Wind: 10 mph
    Rain/Cloud: little clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dry
    Ants: none
    Blowflies: none
    Maggots: none
    Physical description: The squirrel’s left over look the same.

  • Day 7

    Temperature: 82 °F
    Wind: 3 mph
    Rain/Cloud: no clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dry
    Ants: none
    Blowflies: none
    Maggots: none
    Physical description: The squirrel’s left over look the same.

  • Day 8

    Temperature: 77 °F
    Wind: 9 mph
    Rain/Cloud: no clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dry
    Ants: none
    Blowflies: none
    Maggots: none
    Physical description: The squirrel’s left over look the same.

  • Day 9

    Temperature: 81 °F
    Wind: 11 mph
    Rain/Cloud: little clouds
    Ground Moist/Dry: dry
    Ants: none
    Blowflies: none
    Maggots: none
    Physical description: The squirrel’s left over look the same.

  • Day 10

    Body farm clean up.