Extremely Disgusting Find ***Contains disturbing images***

[UnicornSpirit]

WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGES IN THREAD!


Ok, some of you may have noticed I have been befriending fellow herp-lovers on FaceBook for networking purposes. I was browsing on one guy's page and saw he was "tagged" in this other guys photo. I look and he has tons of photos of many gorgeous geckos, many photos of adults, different morphs, hatchlings... I come across a photo of a monitor eating a leo hatchling then other photos of leopard gecko autopsies. There are even a few photos of gecko skins mounted on wooden boards which are particularly interesting.

WARNING: gross image if you click on the link. REally gross :main_no:

Anyways, I then clicked and saw to my horror this photo:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1318061088#!/photo.php?fbid=1328063284486&set=a.1167568432215.2024906.1318061088

:speechless: :shocked:

It looks to me like maybe this gecko is in a tub next to what was a water/food dish (?). Who knows... I hope that is not the case. I'm tempted to ask the guy about it, even though I don't even know him. It is just so strange. What did you forget the gecko and it died or maybe you're just innocently observing the stages of gecko decomposition?

If anyone is wondering this guy's facebook profile as well as photo album are completely open to the public so I don't feel as if I'm violating any terms sharing this photo here. I just want to know what people think, other than vomiting. lol

-Melissa

 

[fl_orchidslave]

That was disgusting.. and the necro was sloppy. He has some nice geckos otherwise.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

Yes, very beautiful, though some are a bit thin for my liking.

He has some nice geckos otherwise.

 

[sausage]

links closed now so cant see :S

 

[UnicornSpirit]

WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGE

links closed now so cant see :S

 

[latshki]

my guess is a gecko died and they wanted the skeleton

 

[Coby78]

yeah.. decomposition to that degree would take a little while, so I can't see them forgetting about it. It must smell terribly though.

 

[Jordan]

extremely disgusting but yet at the same time quite interesting, i hope the gecko died of a natural causes or something rather than being left to die.

 

[JordanAng420]

I saw that guy's facebook page before he made it private (which was VERY recent) and it was pretty darn disturbing. He seems to like to save the skins of his deceased geckos, and there were several pictures of deceased babies and adults, along with a few "autopsy" photos (it's called NECROPSY, and anyone who doesn't know that shouldn't be performing them...)

I can't think of ONE THING, not ONE excuse that someone could come up with that would justify what I see in THAT picture, though. There is NO excuse for that whatsoever.

 

[BrilliantEraser]

UGH. I worked in necropsy for a semester (avian group), and I started a massive project where I was attempting to construct a display skeleton from a rooster carcass. At NO POINT did my skeleton come even close to looking like that. There are so many different protocols established for that sort of work, all of which can be easily found via Google search. So, no, there's no reason for any animal to be in that state of decomposition. Whatever he was doing, I'm pretty sure he was doing it wrong.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I'd like to learn to do a necropsy, the right way, under the supervision of my vet.

 

[M_surinamensis]

my guess is a gecko died and they wanted the skeleton

Wet decomposition will ruin the skeleton, if they were really trying to preserve it.

yeah.. decomposition to that degree would take a little while, so I can't see them forgetting about it. It must smell terribly though.

Not that long necessarily. A little bit of moisture in a heated environment, with an animal that small (the ratio of surface area to mass making for efficient gas exchange)... bacterial decomposition can be rapid with an environment that is ideal for it. Without knowing the temperature and humidity and checking out a few samples under a microscope, I'm not really willing to hazard a definite guess but... I have seen deceased animals in that condition (visually similar anyway) after a couple days.

It could have been awhile. It might have been not-that-long though too.

I saw that guy's facebook page before he made it private (which was VERY recent) and it was pretty darn disturbing. He seems to like to save the skins of his deceased geckos, and there were several pictures of deceased babies and adults, along with a few "autopsy" photos (it's called NECROPSY, and anyone who doesn't know that shouldn't be performing them...)

I can't think of ONE THING, not ONE excuse that someone could come up with that would justify what I see in THAT picture, though. There is NO excuse for that whatsoever.

I am inclined to agree.

I'm a bit hesitant to phrase any of it as an absolute though. Mostly because I could present reasonable scenarios for why a gecko might have decomposed and because I myself have done some amateur necropsy work under very specific conditions when I felt it was appropriate.

The thing is though, whatever explanations I might be able to provide for my choices or the reasons why I may have seen similar things, I never decided to post photos of it to a social networking site. Context and a sense of the appropriate are such important things. When, where and how such things are done and the way they are presented (if at all) are overwhelmingly going to be used to define the difference between... well, between right and wrong.

I didn't see the facebook page before it went private but that really does not seem like the venue for a clinical analysis of decomposition rates or for presenting the detailed step by step illustrated findings of a necropsy. Were the photos covered in disclaimers and caveats, explanations and information... or was it just coming across like the trophy collection of a budding serial killer who's still at that stage where they're torturing animals?

It can be a fine line- and judging intent can be subjective, but when someone like yourself, a veterinary medical professional, believes that it crossed that line, then I am inclined to take your word for it.

 

[JordanAng420]

Wet decomposition will ruin the skeleton, if they were really trying to preserve it.



Not that long necessarily. A little bit of moisture in a heated environment, with an animal that small (the ratio of surface area to mass making for efficient gas exchange)... bacterial decomposition can be rapid with an environment that is ideal for it. Without knowing the temperature and humidity and checking out a few samples under a microscope, I'm not really willing to hazard a definite guess but... I have seen deceased animals in that condition (visually similar anyway) after a couple days.

It could have been awhile. It might have been not-that-long though too.



I am inclined to agree.

I'm a bit hesitant to phrase any of it as an absolute though. Mostly because I could present reasonable scenarios for why a gecko might have decomposed and because I myself have done some amateur necropsy work under very specific conditions when I felt it was appropriate.

The thing is though, whatever explanations I might be able to provide for my choices or the reasons why I may have seen similar things, I never decided to post photos of it to a social networking site. Context and a sense of the appropriate are such important things. When, where and how such things are done and the way they are presented (if at all) are overwhelmingly going to be used to define the difference between... well, between right and wrong.

I didn't see the facebook page before it went private but that really does not seem like the venue for a clinical analysis of decomposition rates or for presenting the detailed step by step illustrated findings of a necropsy. Were the photos covered in disclaimers and caveats, explanations and information... or was it just coming across like the trophy collection of a budding serial killer who's still at that stage where they're torturing animals?

It can be a fine line- and judging intent can be subjective, but when someone like yourself, a veterinary medical professional, believes that it crossed that line, then I am inclined to take your word for it.

Seamus,
There were no disclaimers or explainations, or anything to go along with any of the photos in question. No step-by-step anything. Just some random pictures of at home necropsy procedures, gecko skins that were mounted, various animals eating hatchling leos, mixed in with other pictures of other live geckos...some very thin, some fairly decent looking. Showing off a trophy collection? That is certainly what it seemed like to me. The "autopsy" photos he had didn't shed any kind of light as to what was going on...the only caption that explained anything was one that said "compaction"...Now, this guy isn't from the US, I have no idea where he's from, but the comments on the photos were definately not in english. So the whole "culture" thing could play a part...? I don't know....I might be reaching here.

It certainly did seem like he was showing off quite a bit...several pictures of him holding adult geckos eating still born hatchings, which, if that is what you choose to do, then okay...but I do agree...posting this all on FACEBOOK?

I do believe the line has been crossed. :main_yes:

 

[prettyinpink]

UGH! Thought I was safe to read this thread! Should've posted a warning before you showed that pic...

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I didn't look at the guy's personal info to see where he resides but it's a French speaking country. Some words don't translate well in the intended context. IMO the photos were not appropriate for a social networking site by US standards. I would also have to agree they looked to be trophy photos, not for the purpose of education at all. The necropsy looked like it was done with a pocket knife. The moral scale may be different where he lives, but if we were to see a utube vid of a gecko being harassed and fed to a monitor we would more likely than not be disgusted. Some things should not be out there for everyone to see.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

the images...

WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGES AHEAD






M_Sur: The photo is simply labeled "Sunglow adult giant"

His facebook page is still public (maybe you have to be logged in to view it or maybe I'm just pasting the links wrong) http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...318061088#!/profile.php?id=1318061088&sk=info

Here are just a few examples of photos he shares if anyone is curious:

This used to be a fine gecko... it is the same one pictured below deceased and it's "Skintag", so he calls them.

A monitor to cull, normal enough... but is it necessary to post it for all your friends to see?

gecko eats gecko, I guess that's one way to cull.................. ..

This is a deceased gecko he propped up for a photoshoot. It is both mildly humorous yet disturbing to me.

Another skintag

From his "pets" album... a few of these are actually very interesting to me.

 

[UnicornSpirit]

On a side note: I'm sorry if my post disturbed anyone. I tried to be clear in my title to warn others. I just want to shed light on what goes on with some of these gecko keepers/breeders. As for the Facebook links, I discovered they then expire quickly for whatever reason.

 

[JordanAng420]

Ok Seamus, now you have a better understanding of where i'm coming from...

Some of that stuff I didn't even see...holy mother of shneikies!

 

[prettyinpink]

Hey Melissa, could you before you're about to post disturbing images put a warning (right before the pic). Not just in the begining. Because I like reading your posts

 

[UnicornSpirit]

No prob, Erica! :main_thumbsup:

Hey Melissa, could you before you're about to post disturbing images put a warning (right before the pic). Not just in the begining. Because I like reading your posts