Life Span

Fanny Cradock

I've always been confused by the life span of a zombie. With all the open, untreated wounds would infection not rapidly set in, feeding upon and destroying the already dead cells? Furthermore, how long can a zombie survive without sustenance?

Even if the 'zombie infection' retarded cellular decay and limited the need for sustenance you would imagine that waiting it out on a boat for a few weeks would be enough, no?

Drunkmonkey79

Decomposition can take from days to years depending on surrounding condition such as moisture, humidity, tempature. Also its a commonly acknowledged fact that inssects won't eat the flesh of a zombie which can slow decomposition down further. So i wouldn't just sit on a boat hoping to out last it, remember there is a possibility of new zombies every day if a survivor gets careless enough to be bitten. so then your back to square one of the waiting game.

Evolute

It all depends on the type of infection. Are they infected humans still living like in 28 days later? or are they the stereotypical zombie decaying corpse? I reckon if you could get some kind of tree felling machine that could be armoured up ya could just blow through the hordes of zombies. Take the direct approach and bring the fight to them instead of waiting for them to decompose. No way unless you where on a cruise ship full of food with a small skeleton crew could you survive even nearly long enough to see even the slightest effect to the first infected zombies.

SimpleSam06

Drunkmonkey79 wrote: »

Also its a commonly acknowledged fact that inssects won't eat the flesh of a zombie which can slow decomposition down further.

I dunno, crows and other animals have gotten infected in plenty of movies, 28 days later and resident evil 3 to name a couple. How far down the food chain would you think that would go? If bacteria won't consume zombie flesh (zombie bacteria, that really is the death knell for all life on earth), that pretty much leaves oxidation as the only means of corrosion on zombies, which in flesh could take a long, long time. Alternately they might be able to consume it but not get infected.

If you're coming at it from the "batteries" angle, it could be when they run out of food, or if its some sort of malefic power keeping them on the go, you could be in for the longest siege in history...

Feral Mutant

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

If bacteria won't consume zombie flesh (zombie bacteria, that really is the death knell for all life on earth), that pretty much leaves oxidation as the only means of corrosion on zombies, which in flesh could take a long, long time.

In the guide it says they last 3 to 5 years (depending on their condition and the environment) because almost all bacteria reject infected tissue.
God bless erosion

Redhairedguy

I kinda like the idea in Brook's "Zombie Survival Handbook", that a zombie can remain on the go for anything up to 20 years. Makes total global zombification a much more serious thing.

Also, Zombies freeze so if one becomes lodged in a glacier or sub zero temperature lake etc etc, it will remain dormant until... well until it defrosts. (global warming... oh noooooooooo)