What's a snood, wattle, and carancle? These are funny looking features that only turkeys have. The turkey has them for a good reason. When a tom (male) turkey wants to attract a hen (female) turkey its snood, wattle and caruncle parts fill up with blood and turn bright red. But when a turkey is scared, these parts become blue. You can even tell when a turkey isn't feeling well bu looking at their snood, caruncle or wattle because they become very pale and colorless.
TURKEY TRIVIA
~Ben Franklin thought that the turkey should have been our national bird instead of the eagle.
~There is fossil evidence that turkeys have been around the Americas for 10 million years!
~Some people think the turkey got its name from the Indian word for the bird--"furkee". Other people think its name came from the sound that the bird makes--"turk, turk."
~Turkeys were probably first domesticated by the Mexicans. Spanish explorers took them to Europe in 1519. The Pilgrims brought domesticated turkeys to America in 1620.
~Turkeys are friendly and curious. They become friendly with the farmer, but gobble at strangers.
~Turkeys are easily frightened and may hurt themselves when upset by flying into walls or by piling atop each other, causing one or more birds to smother.
