Gobbling Good Turkey Tidbits I Quiz

Answer: northern Mexico and the eastern United States

Early Spanish explorers in Mexico found Indians raising turkeys around their homes. The Spaniards enjoyed turkey meat so much that they took several of the birds back to Europe. By the 1500s, turkeys were domesticated in England, France and Italy. The Pilgrims actually brought turkeys with them on their voyage to the New World.

Naturally, it was part of the first Thanksgiving feast. Fossil records indicate that turkeys have been in existence for over 10 million years.

Answer: Navajo

The Navajo viewed turkeys as sacred. Another Navajo legend tells the tale of a turkey rescuing their ancestors from a flood. Wild turkeys were an important part of Native American history. It was a meat staple of many tribes, with some exceptions. The Cheyenne would not eat it for fear it would make them cowardly.

The Apache considered turkeys timid and would not even use the feathers. Sioux women were sure that turkeys caused illness and tried to gain favor with them through special dances.

Answer: Benjamin Franklin

Franklin was greatly disappointed when his candidate was not chosen. Although, the turkey was "vain and silly", Ben felt it was a better choice over the eagle, which he considered "a coward". He stated in a letter to his daughter, "I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country! The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America."

Answer: poults

Poults are tan and brown in color. They are hatched from
buff-colored eggs, lightly spotted with brown and black that are twice the size of a chicken egg. The eggs hatch in 28 days. Peachicks are baby peafowl, fledglings are baby eagles, and jennys are female turkeys.

Answer: 55 miles per hour

Not only are wild turkeys fast in the air but on the ground as well. They can run at speeds of 20 to 25 miles per hour. Domesticated turkeys cannot fly because they are too weak and fat.

Answer: furcula

The furcula joins the two clavicles and provides additional strength in flight. The patella is the same as the human kneebone and the alula is also called a winglet. The keel is the large, flat, bone which extends from the breastbone.

Answer: 70% white meat and 30% dark meat

The white meat of the turkey is generally preferred in the United States while dark meat is preferred in other countries.

Answer: snood

A wattle is the bumpy skin on a turkey's neck. Hackles are long, narrow feathers on the neck or saddle of a bird. A gizzard is the thick-walled muscular pouch in the lower stomach of many birds that helps to grind up food, often with the aid of ingested grit and stones.

Answer: 100 yards away

Turkeys have excellent visual acuity. They possess a wide range of vision of about 270 degrees which makes them hard to sneak up on. Turkeys can see colors. They do not see well at night. Turkeys have great hearing capablities and an excellent sense of taste. They have a poor sense of smell.

Answer: 1 mile away

Males, or toms, gobble. Females, hens or jennys, do not gobble. Instead, they make a clicking noise.