腐肉是指动物尸体上腐烂的肉。腐肉是大量肉食性和杂食性动物的食物来源之一，而以腐肉为主要食物来源的动物被称为食腐动物（如鬣狗、秃鹫等）。许多无脊椎动物，如蛆和埋葬虫（Silphidae），也以腐肉为食物来源。

在动物死亡后，腐肉在细菌的作用下开始慢慢降解，产生尸胺（cadaverine）和腐胺（putrescine），并散发出尸臭味。一些植物和真菌可以释放出相似的腐败气味，以吸引昆虫来帮助它们传粉。

Carrion (from the Latin "caro", meaning "meat") refers to the dead and decaying flesh of an animal.

Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia opossum, Tasmanian devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles. Many invertebrates such as the burying beetles, as well as maggots of calliphorid flies and flesh-flies also eat carrion, playing an important role in recycling nitrogen and carbon in animal remains.