7/5/19 – Wake up. Stop alarm. Squirrels.
This morning, I walked down to the squirrels, half awake, as usual. However, as soon as I got to the site, I was greeted by a vulture. It startled me so bad that I gasped out loud. I’m sure the vulture would’ve gasped if it had the ability to, because it sure looked surprised. It almost looked guilty, or maybe it was my imagination; if anything, it was probably upset that I caught it trying to eat my subject. I whipped out my phone to take a picture, but as soon as I did it flew away.
The vulture moved the entire cage in an attempt to grab B. If the vulture was able to pick and tear at B, that could have caused a lot more insects to appear and lay their eggs. This would have ruined the experiment, as I am testing the rate of decomposition with insects vs without insects, and a large, animal-made wound would have given B an “advantage,” so to speak.
Although B narrowly escaped being eaten by a vulture, he was still in ‘bad shape.’ B is now in bloat, with foul-smelling liquid pooling at the bottom of his container.
On the last check up of the day, B was surrounded by flies and beetles.
It’s possible that B may be transitioning from late-stage bloat to putrefaction, as evidenced by all of the insects feasting and/or possibly laying eggs. I’ll only know for sure he’s in putrefaction if his gas build up causes him to explode, though. What a way to go.
A is still in bloat.
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