Post-mortem explosions, like that of a beached whale, are the result of the build-up of natural gases created by methane-producing bacteria inside the carcass during the decomposition process.
Likewise, many species of termites, such as Globitermes sulphureus, have members, deemed the soldier class, who can split their bodies open emitting a noxious and sticky chemical for the same reason.
[14] In January 1932, the Townsville Daily Bulletin, an Australian newspaper, reported an incident where a dairy cow was partially blown up and died on a farm at Kennedy Creek (near Cardwell, North Queensland).
[16] In April 2005, toads in the Altona district of Hamburg were observed by nature protection officials to swell up with gases and explode, propelling their innards for distances of up to one meter.
[citation needed] The incidents were reported as occurring with greatest frequency between 2 and 3 a.m. Werner Smolnik, an environmental movement worker, stated that at least 1,000 toads had died in this manner over the span of a few days.
[17] Berlin veterinarian Franz Mutschmann collected toad corpses and performed necropsies, and hypothesized that the phenomenon was linked to a recent influx of predatory crows to the area.
As a defensive mechanism, the toads enlarged themselves, but due to the hole in their body and their missing liver, their blood vessels and lungs ruptured and expelled their intestines.