The turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris, native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

How long do turkeys live as pets?

In the wild, the average lifespan of turkeys is around 3 to 4 years. Turkeys in captivity may easily live between 10 to 12 years if properly cared for, depending on the breed of turkey.

How long does a wild tom turkey live?

The average lifespan of a wild turkey is three to five years, and the oldest known wild turkey lived to be at least 13 years old. Domestic birds bred for food only live a few months until they are the appropriate size for commercial slaughter, though breeding pairs may be kept several years.

How old is the oldest turkey?

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife currently holds the record for the oldest turkey ever found. The carcass was found in 1992 by a fisherman. Records of the turkey showed it had been dubbed 13 years old in 1979. Another 13-year-old turkey was reported to be located in New Jersey in 1992.

Do turkeys remember your face?

Turkeys love to be stroked, petted and cuddled. They will remember your face and if they like you, they will come up to you to greet you.

5 FACTS | Wild Turkey (True Facts)

Are turkeys smart or dumb?

They're definitely not dumb, but they are very social with each other and with humans. In fact, the great naturalist Charles Darwin praised the birds' intelligence.

Do turkeys have a good memory?

Turkeys have short term memory loss, and they also suffer from short term memory loss.

How far can turkeys see?

He has an approximate visual field of 270 degrees around him, substantial compared to Bob's measly 180 degrees. Put that together with Tom Turkey's uncanny ability to rotate his neck completely around and he can spot the Bobs of the world coming a mile away, 360 degrees around him, with a simple twist of his head.

How Long Can turkeys fly?

Unlike the muscles of the hind limbs, which are made for sustained use, the breast muscles that power a turkey's wings are built for rapid but brief exertions. A wild turkey rarely flies more than about 100 yards, which is usually enough to bring it to safety.

Are turkeys smart?

Not to be confused with their distant and stupid cousin, the domesticated turkey commonly found in freezers, wild turkeys are highly intelligent and unpredictable. They can fly as fast as 55 m.p.h., run up to 20 m.p.h. and have keen eyesight.

Do turkeys mate for life?

Turkeys only breed once a year. A hen just has to mate once in order to produce a clutch of eggs. Once she lays her fertilized eggs, she usually won't produce more fertilized eggs until the next mating season. Toms usually mate with multiple partners.

Can chickens and turkeys live together?

One of the main ways to keep turkeys healthy is too NOT raise chickens and turkeys together. When turkeys and chickens are raised together, turkeys run a high risk of contracting the disease histomoniasis, also known as blackhead.

Why is turkey's life expectancy low?

Habitat is the most significant factor when discussing a wild turkey's life expectancy. If a turkey has to roam long distances to reach needed resources, it becomes subject to predation, suffers from decreased nutrition and becomes more susceptible to disease.

Are turkeys nice pets?

Since turkeys are so docile and loving, they make excellent pets for children. They like to play and are more resilient than smaller, delicate birds, like chickens. Once your turkey has bonded with their family, they will enjoy spending time around you.

Can turkeys smell humans?

It is often said of turkeys, “If they could smell you, you'd never kill them.” Maybe so, but the senses they do posses are among the keenest in nature, honed by eons of natural selection to ensure survival of the species. Even novice hunters occasionally encounter a “foolish” bird that makes them feel like a hero.

How good can turkeys hear?

Outstanding hearing is an asset to all prey species. Dickson's compilation of wild turkey experts reveals that a wild turkey's hearing is acute, although its external ear lacks a flap, or pinna, which concentrates sound waves. Field observations suggests turkeys hear lower-frequency and more distant sounds than humans.

What is a turkey's predator?

Wild turkeys are prey to a long list of predators including coyotes, bobcats, foxes, fisher, weasels, skunks, opossum, raccoons, snakes, hawks, owls, domestic dogs, and humans.

What colors do turkeys see?

Turkeys, however, have seven different kinds of photoreceptors--one rod, four single cones, and two double cones--allhowing them to see a broader spectrum of colors, as well as UVA light. What this means is that in addition to being able to see color better than us, they can also see in the ultraviolet spectrum.

Can turkeys see in the dark?

It's believed that they see three times greater than a human with 20/20 vision. Unlike an owl, though, they struggle terribly at seeing in the dark, an evolutionary sacrifice that allows them to get great images in the daylight, but poor ones at night.

Can turkeys see at night?

Although turkeys spend most of their time on the ground during the day, they sleep in trees at night. Turkeys cannot see well in the dark. Sleeping in trees provides protection from predators that roam and can see at night. They fly up to roost at dusk, and fly down at dawn to begin their daily rituals.

What is the dumbest bird?

The kakapo is known as the dumbest bird in the world.

Do turkeys have feelings?

All poultry species are sentient vertebrates and all the available evidence shows that they have a very similar range of feelings as mammalian species. Poultry can suffer by feeling pain, fear, and stress." More information about the lives of turkeys can be found here.