@howtoloveaforest: Turkeys are crayyyyy… Here are 5 mind-blowing facts about turkeys: 3. Turkeys are capable of parthenogenesis (aka “virgin birth”) — a form of asexual reproduction where unfertilized eggs can develop. Parthenogenesis — which is common in invertebrates, as well as documented in more than 80 species of vertebrates, including snakes, lizards and fish (and has been noted in odd cases in birds, including pigeons and California condors) — can lead to development of unfertilized turkey embryos, and (even rarer) turkeys that survive to adulthood. In the exceedingly-rare cases that parthenogenesis results in turkeys that fully develop and hatch, they are always male, and only 20% are thought to be capable of breeding. 4. Turkeys were once almost driven to extinction by market hunting (see my “Wild Turkey’s Near-Extinction” video from last weekend for the full story on this). 5. Wild turkeys have this crazy facial anatomy, characterized by a “waddle,” a “snood,” and “caruncles.” These are present on both male (tom) turkeys and females (hens), through much larger and more prominent on toms. All of these become engorged with blood when turkeys are “excited,” making them change shape, size and color, and can also change color based on a turkey’s mood. 6. Benjamin Franklin didn’t really advocate for the turkey to be on the Great Seal of the United States, rather than the eagle — this myth is based on a 1784 letter that he wrote to his daughter (see my “Ben Franklin and Turkeys” video from a few weeks ago for the full story on this). 7. Turkeys were domesticated in Mexico (or, I should say, what is now Mexico). While Europeans like to take credit for turkey domestication, and while they did play a role in developing modern turkey breeds, turkeys were domesticated from almost 2,000 years before a European ever saw one — see my “Turkey Domestication” video for more on this! If you love birds, you’ll love my new book The Forest Year: Finding Hope in a World Worth Saving is available for pre-order! Pre-order it from your local independent bookseller today. Find some pre-order options at EthanTapper.com/forestyear (link in bio) #bird #turkey #wildlife #nature #Science

Ethan Tapper

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Tuesday 23 June 2026 19:00:00 GMT