ABSTRACT
Whereas the postmortem examination of a human is referred to as an autopsy, the postmortem examination of an animal is referred to as a necropsy. The necropsy is an essential component of any quality veterinary medical practice and may be an essential skill for field biologists and other scientists as well. In captive animal populations, the necropsy is an opportunity to learn from the death of an animal so that futures illnesses in other animals may be prevented or more easily diagnosed and treated. In wild animal populations, the necropsy may provide vital data about population declines, habitat changes, effects of human or other animal populations, and causes of catastrophic die-offs. A necropsy may not provide all the answers, but it is an important first step (and sometimes last step) in the investigation of animal and environmental health issues.
