Turkeys represent one of the “It” animals of the year. There’s more about them than the ideal temperature and bake times. Explore some amazing Facts About Turkeys here!
Benjamin Franklin was so fond of turkeys that he suggested that they are the national bird of our country. However, turkeys also have a darker side. If you see turkeys in nature, do not look at them with eyes…
Facts About Turkeys
1. ) Turkeys are more than simply large poultry-more than 45 million years in evolution divide the two species.
2. ) Wild turkeys were hunted to extinction by the beginning of the 1900s, at which point the population dropped to a low of 30000 birds. However, restoration programs all over North America have brought the number of birds to seven million at present.
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3. ) The wild turkey has six wild turkey subspecies, all of which are native in North America. The pilgrims hunted and ate Eastern wild turkeys like M. gallopavo silvestris. It is found in the eastern part of the United States and extends into Canada. These birds, also known as the forest turkeys, are the most abundant of the turkey subspecies. They number over five million.
4. ) Aztecs domesticated a different subspecies of turkey, M. gallopavo. This is the southern Mexican wild turkey. Then, the Spanish brought the turkeys into Europe. The pilgrims brought a few of the domestic turkeys back to North America.
5. ) Male turkeys are referred to as “gobblers,” after the “gobble” sound they make to announce their presence in front of females (which are known as “hens”) to to compete against male turkeys. Other turkey noises comprise “purrs,” “yelps,” and “kee-kees.”
6 ) A mature gobbler weighs between 16 and 22 pounds in average with a beard made of feathers that have been modified on his chest that is seven inches or more and spikes of sharpness on the legs to fight. A hen is less hefty, with 8-12 pounds, but has no gobs or spurs. Both genders sport the nose (a small, dangly thing on the face), the wattle (the red dangly piece underneath the jawline), and a couple of hairs around the neck.
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7. ) Studies have demonstrated that snood length correlates with the health of male turkeys. A 1997 study published in The Journal of Avian Biology discovered that female turkeys favor men with long-snood snoods. It was also found that the snood length can be used to determine the winner of a contest between two males.
8. ) The gender of a turkey can be determined by the poop it produces-males produces poop in spirals and females’ urine appears in the shape of an X.
9. ) Turkeys can be able to run as high as 25 miles an hour. They can also fly up to 55 miles an hour.
10. ) The grouping of similar male turkeys can band together to play court with females, but only one turkey can mate.
11 ) If a hen is ready to hatch tiny turkeys she’ll shed 10-12 eggs one egg per day in around two weeks. The eggs will stay incubated for around 28 days before hatching.
12) The baby turkeys, known as poults, consume seeds, berries, and insects, whereas adults enjoy a more diverse diet, including acorns and tiny reptiles.
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13. ) There is a different species of turkey, called the Ocellated turkey, that is located within the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
14. ) Benjamin Franklin never proposed the turkey as a symbol of America. However, he once praised the turkey for being “a far more reverent bird” than the bald eagle.
