Image: Stage 6: Dry decay - 50-365 days after death
Description
Stage 6: Dry decay - 50-365 days after death. The pig has been reduced to hair and bone.
- Photographer:
- R. Major
- Rights:
- © Australian Museum
Additional information
State of decay
The body is now dry and decays very slowly. Eventually all the hair disappears leaving the bones only.
Insect activity
Animals which can feed on hair include tineid moths, and micro-organisms like bacteria. Mites, in turn, feed on these micro-organisms.
They remain on the body as long as traces of hair remain, which depends on the amount of hair that covers the particular species. Humans and pigs have relatively little hair and this stage is short for these species.
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Moth - Monopis argillacea View full size
M. Bulbert
© Australian Museum
Mite from the genus Macrocheles View full size
D. E. Walter
© Australian Museum
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