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How long do zombies survive without food?

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  • 24-07-2012 1:19pm
    #1
    Einhard
    Registered Users Posts: 6,920 ✭✭✭


    Watching the Walking Dead lately, and I was wondering how long is it generally accepted that zombies can survive without getting their hands on flesh? In 20 years time, say, will most of the zombies have died out and the earth safe again? Also: in that show, the walkers eat chicken and other types of flesh. Is this generally the case, and is there a hierarchy of deliciousness?


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    #2
    degrassinoel
    Registered Users Posts: 10,734 ✭✭✭✭degrassinoel


    it can vary from different perspectives.

    28 days later would suggest that they do ultimately die of starvation.
    Most of Romero's (if not all) suggest they stop decaying after a point and remain in a static state of decomposition.

    Realisticly speaking (i know i know) the human body can last about 3-4 weeks without food before major organs fail entirely. This would require the body being able to consume liquid and remain hydrated though.
    Curiously, the typical zombies do not have a working digestive system, though they may continue to eat, the matter they consume will not undergo any type of known digestion.
    Zombies have no use for their own hearts, lungs, liver, stomach etc.. The only organ they actually need to survive is the brain, and typically not even all of it.

    So long as the brain is still semi-functional, they will not die.

    TLDR: depends on the zombie!


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    #3
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    I don't think zombie use food as such. I don't think hunger needs to be their motivation either. Humans have herding instincts and a deep seeded need to be in contact with other people. That would motivate the zombie in a much more precise manner than simple hunger.

    I think a zombie will last as long as their real fuel source (organs and flesh) can last through anaerobic digestion.


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    #4
    silverharp
    Registered Users Posts: 17,849 ✭✭✭✭silverharp


    in the walking dead, they had a zombie that seemed to be in the well for months with no obvious source of food. however even a zombie needs to obey the "laws of physics" so the energy the Zombie needs has to be coming from somewhere, be it absorption of flesh or eating itself inside out.
    If the walking dead series drags their timeline out over a year , my suspension of disbelief will be struggling.

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



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    #5
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    silverharp wrote: »
    in the walking dead, they had a zombie that seemed to be in the well for months with no obvious source of food.
    I think zombies could easily lay dormant conserving energy until something triggers a response, as they don't rot they could be preserved for a much longer time that way.


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    #6
    BigDuffman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭BigDuffman


    Recent thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056661711


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    #7
    CruelCoin
    Registered Users Posts: 4,468 ✭✭✭CruelCoin


    Einhard wrote: »
    Watching the Walking Dead lately, and I was wondering how long is it generally accepted that zombies can survive without getting their hands on flesh? In 20 years time, say, will most of the zombies have died out and the earth safe again? Also: in that show, the walkers eat chicken and other types of flesh. Is this generally the case, and is there a hierarchy of deliciousness?


    They'd eventually wither away into nothing.

    Your nerves need to be hydrated to be able to transmit signals. So, with no water the average zombie brain would be unable to move the body.

    I'd give it 10 days?


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    #8
    degrassinoel
    Registered Users Posts: 10,734 ✭✭✭✭degrassinoel


    10 days is a bit low when you're just talking about survival.
    besides, we're talking zombies here, it's not ever going to be a precise science predicting how long a dead person can remain err...undead

    The best imo, scientific reasoning behind the how and why of zombies is presented by Max Brooks in his books. It's fiction, they can last as long as the author wants them to! :)


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    #9
    ScumLord
    Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    CruelCoin wrote: »
    They'd eventually wither away into nothing.

    Your nerves need to be hydrated to be able to transmit signals. So, with no water the average zombie brain would be unable to move the body.

    I'd give it 10 days?
    I think zombies would need to override the nervous system and maybe even replace it with something more robust. If the infection works on the nervous system this may be possible. Basically zombie virus infects entire nervous system so that it can continue to control the host after death. The replacement system wouldn't be as fast as the living system.


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