So I make a lot of identifications on iNat and have noticed a lot of people handling dead observations, for example, a wing from a roadkill. Often times with just bare hands! Wondering if it’s really alright to be doing that (I would’ve assumed gloves are necessary??) and on a slight tangent, what d…

I submit lots of dead animal observations, though I never handle with my bare hands. You just don’t know what kinds of diseases or parasites that dead animal might have, so your concerns are certainly valid. I try to use sticks or stones to move the carcass if needed, or sometimes a large leaf, as I…

As long as you wash your hands and don’t have cuts you should be fine

I don’t think handling dead things with any tissue left is a good idea. It’s one thing if it’s mostly bone and dried out, but another thing entirely if it’s all gorey and a mess. Just wear gloves. [image] aerxeyh: what do you all do if you want to collect bones from a dead specimen but it hasn’…

I will handle remains as needed whether or not I have gloves. Very fresh remains are actually reasonably safe to handle in many cases (eg, recent roadkill) because they haven’t been recruited to by pathogens yet in meaningful numbers. I would generally trust most people to manage their own behavior …

I think thats valid but I personally think that only applies if there is blood or bodily fluids on it. Don’t get me wrong, I 100 percent agree with you, this is just my thoughts.

[image] giannamaria: I have a personal website where I have a guide to collecting bones, however, it hasn’t been edited in a while so it may not look great on all devices :-P Here’s the link: https://anolesquailsandmaybecattails.neocities.org/collectingbones thanks, this is a really helpful w…

[image] cthawley: I will handle remains as needed whether or not I have gloves. Exactly my position on this until about a month ago when I found this (probably) victim of the many cats around https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/287725219 A few days after that observation the local pres…

my general rule is if it is recently dead with skin intact (still with all fur/feather/scales) or if it is bone without any flesh/tendon left, it is fine if you wash your hands after. if it is rotting/bloody/bone with some tissue, wear gloves. exception to blood rule is hunting, and you know the ani…

Be careful with dead mammals as they can carry diseases that are transmissible to humans. Here in the western US, plague occurs in many mammals and I’m always careful around freshly dead carcasses especially where I’m unsure of the cause of death. Hantavirus is also a concern with many rodents.

Safe collection/handling of dead organisms

Nature Talk

song_dog July 7, 2025, 6:06pm 6

I wouldn’t handle a dead animal without gloves where tularemia is present. Just not worth the risk, in my opinion.

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Safe collection/handling of dead organisms

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