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Start, Week 1
Added squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) to the body farm, she had been kept in the refrigerator for a little over one week, and had slight head trauma previous to us receiving her. The high for the day was 78 degrees, with a low of 50 degrees. -
Day 1
No sight of any insects yet, and she had little to no smell. The high for today was 84 degrees, with a low of 54 degrees. -
Day 2
Less than 30 insects on body, and most of them being flys(Diptera). The high for today was 86 degrees, with a low of 61 degrees. -
Day 3
Still not many bugs in or around the corps; blow flies (Calliphoridae) are mainly under the body, and the top still appears to look untouched. Todays high is 77 degrees, with a low of 66 degrees. -
Day 4
Maggots are beginning to appear, they are very small in size. Insects are hard to see because most are coming to the side of the body that is on the ground. Todays high is 81 degrees, with a low of 65 degrees. -
Day 5
Larvae are slightly bigger, and more of the squirrel’s (Sciurus carolinensis) body is missing, and has been decomposed. Todays high is 81 degrees, with a low of 60 degrees. -
Day 6
Larvae are even larger today, must have had another molt; they will be fully-grown soon. Today high is 78 degrees, with a low of 54 degrees. -
Day 7, Start of Week 2
Larvae are about one inch in size, and have an off-white color to them. Which means they are now fully grown, and should not get any larger, however they will burrow deep into the soil, beneath the squirrel’s corps, and develop into adult Blow flies. The squirrel’s body has now been mostly decomposed, the inside now only contains bones, and insects; nothing that would resemble the inside of a live squirrel. The high for today is 88 degrees, with a low of 61 degrees. -
Day 8
Today the larvae have become hard to find, and corps is nearly all dry bone and leftover fur. The high for today is 88 degrees, with a low of 60 degrees. -
Day 9
The high for today is 78 degrees, with a low of 66 degrees. The sky is very overcast, unlike the majority of other days, which were very sunny, with clear skies. -
Day 10
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Day 11
The sky has very few clowds, the squirell (Sciurus carolinensis
) is getting direct sunlight causing it to smell worse. The high is 83˚, the low is 71˚. There are no longer any bugs, the only part that is left of the squirell is the fur and bones. -
Day 12
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Day 13, End
There are no more insects, just the fur and bones, the smell has faded a little and it is starting to shrivell up.
