Jul
17
You know every spring, turkey hunters flock to the turkey woods in order to pursue one of the most beautiful birds in the natural world. The beautiful wild turkey. Although not the same bird of course, but the same species have been hunted for thousands of years. There are even records of many persons hunting the wild turkey prior to Christopher Columbus discovering the western world. Neat that such a beautiful creature has survived and passed on such healthy genetics throughout the years to it’s offspring.
Speaking of offspring that brings a topic to mind in regards to Turkey and the manner in which they breed and produce young. Although Turkeys are able to breed like most other vertebrates through sexual reproduction involving both sexes: the hen and the gobbler. Although it is spoken of that the hen turkey is capable of producing eggs through what is known as asexual reproduction the manner in which most invertebrates are known to reproduce, I believe it would be more correctly stated that she does so through a process known as parthenogenesis (fertilizing an egg without copulation with a male). The female has a sac or storage area, if you will, called a cloaca whereby sperm can be stored for up to one year after copulation with a male. When her biological timeclock decides to release an egg from her ovaries, they are fertilized at this moment.
Why would turkeys possess such a unique quality in the arena of producing young. Apparently there are numerous other birds that are biologically designed in this manner. May it be the creator’s motive to produce such a bird due to where the lie in the food chain. They are rather low on the food chain, the ground walking fowl, that is. Let’s think about it, many birds every year fall prey to coyotes, wolves, dogs, fox and other predators, man being included.
Was it with this forethought that God made the original blueprint for the turkey so that the species could multiply and grow exponentially without breeding, knowing that they were placed to produce such a niche in wildlife. May it be that there are times when the turkey is in it’s search for quality food for survival that it may or may not seek mates for breeding. Hmm? Well being designed with this means in which to reproduce that bird could still do so even if Mr. Tom was a couple hundred yards away searching food or possibly breeding other hens. She would not be without a means to produce young. Or could it be that the season in which hens lay their eggs that snakes, badgers, avian predators and other ground predators are on the prowl and could locate these ground nesting bird’s eggs and devour them.
Well being the parthenogenesis producer that she is, the female turkey would be able to replace those eggs with newly fertilized ones, ensuring that the beautiful strutting creatures that we call Wild Turkeys survive and carry onwards into the future generations.
Until next time, try to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors and this spring pursue a turkey and learn all that you can from such a unique and fun bird to be around.
By: Chris Harrell
Speaking of offspring that brings a topic to mind in regards to Turkey and the manner in which they breed and produce young. Although Turkeys are able to breed like most other vertebrates through sexual reproduction involving both sexes: the hen and the gobbler. Although it is spoken of that the hen turkey is capable of producing eggs through what is known as asexual reproduction the manner in which most invertebrates are known to reproduce, I believe it would be more correctly stated that she does so through a process known as parthenogenesis (fertilizing an egg without copulation with a male). The female has a sac or storage area, if you will, called a cloaca whereby sperm can be stored for up to one year after copulation with a male. When her biological timeclock decides to release an egg from her ovaries, they are fertilized at this moment.
Why would turkeys possess such a unique quality in the arena of producing young. Apparently there are numerous other birds that are biologically designed in this manner. May it be the creator’s motive to produce such a bird due to where the lie in the food chain. They are rather low on the food chain, the ground walking fowl, that is. Let’s think about it, many birds every year fall prey to coyotes, wolves, dogs, fox and other predators, man being included.
Was it with this forethought that God made the original blueprint for the turkey so that the species could multiply and grow exponentially without breeding, knowing that they were placed to produce such a niche in wildlife. May it be that there are times when the turkey is in it’s search for quality food for survival that it may or may not seek mates for breeding. Hmm? Well being designed with this means in which to reproduce that bird could still do so even if Mr. Tom was a couple hundred yards away searching food or possibly breeding other hens. She would not be without a means to produce young. Or could it be that the season in which hens lay their eggs that snakes, badgers, avian predators and other ground predators are on the prowl and could locate these ground nesting bird’s eggs and devour them.
Well being the parthenogenesis producer that she is, the female turkey would be able to replace those eggs with newly fertilized ones, ensuring that the beautiful strutting creatures that we call Wild Turkeys survive and carry onwards into the future generations.
Until next time, try to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors and this spring pursue a turkey and learn all that you can from such a unique and fun bird to be around.
By: Chris Harrell
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