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  • Des Moines Educational Article of the Month - How long does it take for the stench of a Des Moines animal corpse to subside?

How long does it take for the stench of a Des Moines animal corpse to subside?

The odour emitted from the dead body of an Iowa animal varies according to the different species of animals. Regardless of its kind, the foul odour is sure to linger around for sometime; it's duration depending upon several factors.



When a Des Moines animal dies, the body will start decomposing just after its death, but will not start emitting odour immediately. It starts smelling only after sventy-two hours. The decomposition of the body is influenced by factors like its age, size, sex or even the weather around. The breakdown of the body tissues which begin soon after the animal's death, continue when the body starts bloating. The odour that the dead body emits is generated by the anaerobic bacteria metabolising the nutrients in the body. The gases produced during this process leads to swelling and when the bloating reaches its maximum limit, the skin starts to slough off leading to escape of the gases that give out the bad odour. Soon after this, when the skin has been shed off totally and only the bones and hair remain, this when the body stops smelling. The process of fermentation lasts till the flesh lasts. During the different stages of decomposition, the body is visited by different families of flies which lay their eggs upon them leading to the formation of different kinds of odour.

The other factors that also lead to the duration of the odour emitted includes (1) the site of death (2) size of the animal (3) temperature of the sarroundings. Firstly, if an animal dies inside a comparatively less accessible area, it becomes difficult to recognize its actual spot and consequently also becomes difficult to get rid of it. For example, if smaller animals like a rat or a lizard is stuck dead inside an air-conditioner or a heater, it might take days to discover them. Secondly, more obese the animal, faster is the rate at which its odour will spread. The obese bodies decompose rapidly because the bacterias have a better supply of water from the tissues and the fatty acids. Also, animals with lesser level of muscle tissues will have a faster level of decomposition. Lastly, the temperature around the dead animal also plays an important role in spreading the corpse's odour. If the temperature is on the higher side and the air around is humid, it increases the pH level and promotes bacterial decomposition. On the other hand when the animal dies under the effects of prolonged darkness and cold temperatures, the body decomposes at a slower rate emitting less odour.

Therefore, we may say that there is no specific theory or formula to decide how long will it take for the dead Iowa animal's odour to completely subside. The soft tissues of the body are removed first, then the leftover skeletal material and the organic and inorganic remains are further broken down by environmental conditions and then finally mixed with the components of soil till it starts emitting odour.

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