It is a kind of ruffling of their feathers which is always a delight to watch. So basically, turkeys puff up to attract hens during the mating season. Turkeys can change the color of the skin on their heads from red to blue to white, depending on whether they are calm or excited. Berkeley scientists have used this adaptation to create a biosensor for germs, toxins, and TNT. Turkeys' heads change color to express their emotions. via What does it mean when a turkey's head turns blue? The most telling difference between males and females, however, is the bristly tuft of modified feather that resembles hair that males grow on their chests, known as a beard. Male turkeys, often called gobblers, are a darker brown color - even bordering on black - than the females. via What is the difference between a gobbler and a bearded turkey? The beard's function is not known with certainty, but it might influence mate selection by hens. Only about 10 to 20 percent of hens grow beards, and it's likely a genetic mutation, according to. Male turkeys, called gobblers – and some female turkeys, called hens – have beards. via Does a female turkey have a snood?īoth male and female wild turkeys have both wattles and snoods, but they are much more prominent and noticeable in males, called toms. ' ((iStock photo)) The long, red, fleshy area that grows from the forehead over the bill is a "snood" while the fleshy growth under the turkey's throat is called a "wattle." These pieces fill up with blood and turn bright red when a tom wants to attract a hen but they can also turn blue if the turkey is scared. via What is the difference between a wattle and a snood? In older male turkeys, the snood is at full length so often that it's hard to see it at rest. It also elongates when turkeys strut and shrink when they are at rest. According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, females prefer to mate with long-snooded males. Scientists haven't found any specific function for the snood, but it does fill up with blood and hangs over the beak when male turkeys are strutting and showing off looking for mate. Wattles, which hang below turkeys' chins, also come into play during the mating process. The longer the snood, the better the genes. What's the Purpose of a Turkey's Wattle? According to some studies, the part atop a turkey's beak, called a “snood,” helps hens determine which toms to mate with. Via What is the purpose of the turkey's snood? Another striking feature of male turkeys are the lumpy caruncles that wrap around the base of their neck like a red scarf. That snood I mentioned earlier is a piece of flesh that sits on a young turkey’s forehead like a unicorn horn in resting position.
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