Post mortem insect colonization and body weight loss in rabbit carcasses

This study considers the impact of various treatments of rabbit carcasses on post mortem insect colonization and weight loss. A statistically accurate time for the change in carcass weight and insect access time was determined using time series analysis depending on different carcass treatments that determined insect access. The decomposition stage was relatively short. Fifteen freshly killed white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) weighing between 2.5 kg and 4.5 kg were used as animal models in this study. Three carcasses were treated in each of five ways: normal, burnt, wrapped, hung, and immersed. A total of thirteen insect species were attracted to normal, burnt, and hung carcasses. Insects were not collected from sealed and immersed carcasses. The normal and burnt carcasses had a higher number of species and abundance compared to hung carcasses. The present study found no difference in insect colonization in normal and burnt carcasses. The determination of the weight of remaining carcass was clearly divided into the insect‐accessible (i.e., normal, burnt, and hung carcasses) and insect‐inaccessible carcasses (i.e., sealed and immersed carcasses), although no difference was found in the decrease in the rate of the remaining carcass in insect‐inaccessible carcasses.