6 Weird Facts About Turkeys
1. A turkey’s gender can be determined by the shape of its poop. Male turkeys produce droppings in the shape of the letter J, while females’ excrements are spiral-shaped (see below for a visual).
2. Turkeys can run at speeds of up to 25 mph, that’s a 2:24 minute mile! They can also fly — as fast as 55 miles per hour.
3. Turkeys are named after the country. When the birds were first imported to Europe from Turkey (the country) in the 1500s, Europeans called the fowls “turkey-hens” and “turkeycocke.” The rest is history.
4. Benjamin Franklin praised the turkey as being “a much more respectable bird” than the bald eagle. But he never proposed the turkey as a symbol for America, although he described the bald eagle as a “bird of bad moral character.”
5. Male turkey heads change color. Not only are male turkeys’ heads colorful, but the colors also change when it comes time to breed. The gobblers’ heads can change from red, to white, and to blue, sometimes within seconds. (Hens are typically brown or grey, which is better for camouflaging, especially with a nest).
6. Turkeys eat stones for digestion. Turkeys don’t have teeth, so as a necessary alternative to help them break down food, they ingest small stones when eating.
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