2007-02-26

945. Slim Pickings

The last to arrive
at the grizzly remains...
dermestid beetles.

10 comments:

Masago said...

The last to arrive
at the grizzly remains...
dermestid beetles.

Link with 945: Last.

[I recently visited the Biological Sciences museum at the University of Alberta. While there the curator included in his tour a room that they used for stripping animal remains down to their bones. The method used is to maintain a colony of dermestid of beetles. This practice has been common in museums in North America since at least the 1930's:

http://tinyurl.com/3dkuv7

It was further mentioned to me that in the wild the dermestid beetle is often the last to arrive at a site where an animal has died. By the time these beetles show up at the carrion, bears, wolves, wolverines, magpies, maggots, and other scavengers have come and gone. The reason is that usually all that is left on the skeleton is the grizzle, periosteum, and hard to get at pieces of flesh.]

Kai said...

nicee.....

Anonymous said...

Not just anyone can implement the term "dermestid beetles" in a 'ku. Well done, Vaughn! :)

Pamela said...

eew. for a minute I thought I was in an episode of CSI

Anonymous said...

Meaningful observation! Your poem reminds me we are not immortal. The dermestid beetles exist for us too.
I would prefer a good, antiseptic fire:)
Thank you for sharing.

Dana-Maria

floots said...

i sympathise with the litle guys
i've been on too many courses
where i've been the last one to reach the buffet :)

Pat Paulk said...

It's an honest living, I guess.

John McDonald said...

nice one
john

polona said...

important link in the food chain, eh?

thank you for the explanation

Masago said...

Kai: :-)

Aurora: Thank you!!!

Pamela: *hee hee* Actually, I've never seen that show. :-)

Dana-Maria: Thanks. Everything has a role (I think).

Floots: :-) Know what you mean. Thanks.

Pat: Right, can't beat the hours. :-)

John: Thanks.

Polona: Yes, and eventually the bones break down too. You're welcome!