What to do with dead animals?

[MartinW]

I know this is a morbid topic, but I'm curious. What do you do with your dead animals? I haven't had an animal death other than fish for a very long time. I used to bury my hamsters and make a tomb-stone for them. What does everyone else do?

Martin

[stevesemerko]

If one of my animals dies I bury them in the backyard and make a tombstone. One time I bought a baby ball from a pet store and it died in two days and I couldn't bring myself to bury it so I kept it in a ziploc and preserved it in my freezer (I know it seems kind of morbid but it was my first ball and I couldn't let him go):( .

Steve

[Jayson]

I burn them, Ilive in the country and we have a problem with animals getting into the garbage I wouldnt want to come outside in the morning and find a dead 10ft snake dragged across the yard or worse the nieghbours yard LOL :)

[CyberGhost]

This mighr seem morbid but o-well, I used to keep mammals and when they died I would but them in a box with maggots and such and let them decompose where I could keep the skeloton. I have had any herps die except a green snake[I dont know why] amd I did the same thing I like to pose the skeleoton on a shelf in my room I have alot not just my animals but skulls and stuff I find in the pastures. LOoks really kool I put candle on their head and use them as candle holders when I do rituals. Thus do not think wiccans kill animals we dont nor sacrifice them I just like to look at bones.

[Beejay]

Uh..well haha that's interesting CyberGhost.

Anyhow, I've buried pets who have died in the past (no herps yet). Usually in the woods someplace so I don't attract animals to my yard.

It's a good idea to make sure you're not burying someting illegal to own and get caught burying it, probably :O

Bj

[Colonel SB]

I just keep'em in the freezer till garbage day and out they go.

[eyespy]

I have them cremated and "plant" the ashes in one of my plants so that they are never really completely gone.

[fateamber]

I just bury them.

[Ed_r]

I still have a savannah monitor in the freezer from over a year ago. Been kicking around the idea of getting the beetles that clean the bones for museums and preserving the skeleton as a display. Just havent done anything yet. Rest either get burried or rarely in the garbage. Depending on how attached I was to it.

[Samba]

Years ago, when I was called to a pet store to rescue a baby bearded dragon, I noticed this petite, cute little fat-tailed gecko. She was the first one I'd ever seen in person, and she was absolutely adorable! I couldn't get her out of my mind, but the $70.00 price tag didn't appeal to me as much as she did. I left, and MONTHS later I came back to the store to speak with the owner and saw that the fat-tail was still there! Long story short I took that little girl home and had her for quite a few years before she passed away. (We estimate she was over 10 yrs. old)

When she did die, I couldn't bear to bury her (and besides it was winter... the ground was frozen!) So my boyfriend went out and bought me this cute snowflack tin to put her body in. We filled it halfway with perlite, placed her body on it, then covered her up with it. I still have the tin and it may seem gross but I feel better having her around. I was WAY attached to her! I don't care what anyone thinks, I don't regret I did it! =D

R.I.P. ~*Ursela*~

[Samba]

snowflake* not snowflack! LOL

[llama]

My wife is a biology teacher so nothing goes to waste around here. Luckily the only deaths we have were 1 guinea pig and 1 ball python. Both were burried in side of a pair of pantyhose, and then in the ground. With in 3 months dig them up and Viola' a skeleton with all the bones still there. Do any of you know how hard it is to keep track of dozens apon dozens snake ribs.
Anyways, they are then put back together with Elmers glue and pipe cleaners.
I have also seen them for sale on Taxidermy web sites....$100 for a 16' frozen burm.

[Lisa]

We've buried a few furries, returned 1 herp. anything else has run away (one snake and one cat)

[wyz]

I keep them in the freezer.. why ? I have no idea.. They just lay there... I don't wanna throw them away... I probably will burrie them soon on our garden.

WYZ

[icequeen]

All of our pets are buried when the pass on.
Pet fish get a burial at sea of course (the toilet)
We have also cremated one cat, and kept the ashes. He was just too special to our family to part with him....so he remains with us today.
But....other than that, all family pets are buried in the same secluded, rural area, sort of like our own private pet cemetary. With grave markers, a "coffin" of some sort, and a little prayer...

[ThEmAdHaTtEr]

Well I have yet to lose one of my babies, But I plan on doing the same as Icequeen.

[RachelS.]

I just bury them in this sandy spot by the side of my house. I have also had a vet dispose of my favorite leopard gecko's body and another vet that did the same with my gorgeous black blood python that I miss so much right now. I also have ashes from my first dog that got hypo-thermia and drowned in our pool (which, of course, I jumped in the pool when it was way below zero temps outside) :(.

[yankeefoxtrot]

I have had one ball python die and i cept him in the freezer till garbage day. Im sorry rachel!!!! That sucks big time about your dog. : (

Lucas

[Solid Snake]

I bury'em in my back yard.

[Mr.Lizard]

I like the idea about the preserved skeletons.
I was talking with a guy at the Orlando show one year about his reptile skeletons he was selling.
Some were just plain skeletons but a few were really cool.
He had a few that were combinations of monitor and chicken skeletons.
They looked like little dinosaur skeletons.

[theroom101]

I haven't had any pass, but when my friend's 16' burmese passed after 8 years, she skinned her. It took about a dozen 10 blades and bout 6 hours. I know it sounds morbid, but the skin makes a great display and she said it was a "letting go" experience.

I can definately see where she was coming from and I think that's what I will end up doing when the time comes. (of course that's not for another 30 years!)

[Linds]

I have a hard time with this. I used to bury them in the yard, but the past few years I have abondoned that, I cannot use the front yard anymore because lately we have had a lot of stray cats around the neighbourhood, and I cannot use my backyard cause all the dogs will dig em up. I also can't seem to let them go as well as I used to anymore, so they just go in my freezer, I really need to do something about that though... I can't keep them forever.....:(

[Invictus]

If any of my snakes go, I plan on taking them to a taxidermist. That way I can still look at them as they were in life.

[lolaophidia]

I've buried snakes in my back yard, put a dead water dragon out with the trash, flushed lots of leftover mice and way too many fish, had a parrot cremated, but I've still got my 1st female Mandarin Rat snake in the freezer (since November 2002) . I'd concidered skinning her- she was a beautiful creature. I also tried to convince a friend of mine that it was very feng shui to keep a chinese snake in the freezer when he accidentally opened the bag.... Carl Hiaasen actually has a bit in one of his books about someone being attacked in his kitchen and beating the assailant with a frozen savana monitor. Think of it as last ditch home defense!;)