This porpoise stranded on a beach in Santa Cruz, CA.  The skin is still smooth and intact and the animal still has its eyes - all sure signs that this is a fresh dead, code 2 carcass.

This animal is still in good condition with intact skin and eyes.  The skin is beginning to look a little taut, a sign that this animal may have been on the beach for a little while, but overall this would be a code 2 animal.

After a day or so, depending on the temperature, the animal is starting to look bloated and the skin is starting to slough off. Also notice that the eyes are missing and there is moderate bird scavenging. This would be a code 3 carcass.

This animal is looking more rot than not! The skin is discolored and the texture is dried out and has become hardened in the sun.  There is also significant bloating and the eyes look to be missing. This animal would be classified as code 3.

This animal is well on its way to full rot! The skin is sloughing off over most of the body and the animal is starting to look deflated. The appendages have been scavenged and the eyes are hollowed out. This animal would be considered code 4.

This animal has reached advanced decomposition – code 4. You can see that the skin is dried out, the eyes are gone, most of the internal organs will be completely autolyzed (rotten).

When you see mostly bone then you can be sure that the animal is a condition code 5 – skeletal or mummified remains.