how long does it take for an animal to decompose when buried in the ground?

Question

Basicaly i need to move a couple of pets burials in my garden and i do not want to disturbe them until they are just bones1

Ok, well the soil is in the south of england current temps about 25c surface and buried about 4'-6' deep. radon gas possibly present in the soil.

Answer 1

That depends on too many factors to give any sensible answer.

In cold anoxic soils of exteme pH decay ceases almost immediately upon burial. Animal remains in those conditions will remain easily recognisable for thousands for years.

In contrast in warm, well aerated neutral soils animals remains can be stripped to bones within 3 days.

So the answer is somewhere between 3 days and 3, 000 years.

Answer 2

An animal's body starts decomposing after about 3-4 weeks. It will take another good while to be only bones.

Answer 3

VERY fast in hot tropics where the putrifying microbes can multiply real fast and have a real party in less than a week! Where you are living, it could take a long time, years-decades. Did you wrap the pets in anything?

Answer 4

IT TAKES TIME BASED ON THE TEMPERATURE,kind of soil,chemical compositions etc.ur soil condition will not help fast decomposition so you better wait for atleast six months.

Answer 5

It depends on what kind of soil you buried them in.

Answer 6

Well u have to think of the size of the animal ,weather condition ms humidity, etc.

Answer 7

MINE WAS BURIED 19 MONTHS, WE WANTED TO HAVE HIM CREMATED ,SO WE DUG HIM UP. IT HAD GOTTEN WATER IN THE PLASTIC TUB, AND HE HADNT DECOMPOSE HARDLY AT ALL

Answer 8

Bury them deep and forget !

Answer 9

a year should get rid of the gloopy stuff.

Answer 10

depends alot also what you burried them in