OkcPets Magazine November 2022

November / December 2022 • OKC Pets 19 felt unsettled by seeing those flying rodents swoop in every direction above their cele- bratory fires. Bats were also said to travel with vampires or, in some stories, they turned into vampires. Tom Turkey — A Thanksgiving Tradition Many people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving. Although it is believed that many foods were enjoyed during the first Thanksgiving feast, including cod, waterfowl, and deer, it is turkey that we most associate with Thanksgiving dinner. The National Turkey Federation reports that 88 percent of American households eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day. But there is much more to the turkey than people realize when gathering around the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day, particularly considering the relative of domestic turkeys — the wild turkey. There are six subspecies of wild turkeys in the United States, which were nearly extinct by the early 1900s because of de- forestation (destruction of their preferred habitat) and overhunting. Reintroduc- tion projects increased their populations throughout the country from about 30,000 in the 1920s and 1930s to more than three million today. Although wild turkeys are seen most commonly in flocks on the ground — they are extremely social animals and feed on the ground — they do in fact fly. They generally fly only as much as 100 yards at a time but can fly as fast as 40 to 50 miles per hour. And they can run as fast as 25 mph. It’s hard to imagine that they can move all that plumage so quickly! Although domestic turkeys also can run (but not as fast as wild turkeys), they are unable to fly because of their size and physiology. To stay out of reach of predators, wild turkeys roost on branches 20 to 30 feet above the ground. Smart turkeys! In fact, Benjamin Franklin is often credited with having wanted the turkey as the national symbol instead of the bald eagle because he thought turkeys were more intelligent and industrious. Franklin never officially pro- posed this, however; he only made those comments in a letter to his daughter. The Animals of Christmas After Thanksgiving, many households turn their attention to the December holidays — Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. Of all the holidays, there are probably more animals associated with Christmas than any other. First, there were the ani- mals in the manger, often represented by sheep cared for by shepherds, donkeys that carried the Holy Family to the manger, camels that brought the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem, and cattle that were lowing in the manger. Another popular animal reference can be found in “The Twelve Days of Christ- mas.” The true love about which the song is sung receives a partridge, turtledoves (similar to mourning doves), French hens, calling birds, laying geese, and swimming swans — 23 birds for Christmas! In the popular poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” better known as “’Twas the Night before Christmas,” the house was described as so quiet that nothing was moving about — not even a mouse! And holiday décor is filled with many common mammal and bird species — red foxes, bears, squirrels, Northern Cardinals, and Carolina chicka- dees — in the snow. But the most famous animals associated with Christmas are reindeer, called caribou in North America. There are no reindeer in Oklahoma outside of zoos and private ownership, but they are members of the same family (Cervidae) and subfamily (Capreolinae) as white-tailed deer, which are common Oklahoma residents. Safety from predators and habitat loss are the primary reasons it is not uncommon to see deer throughout Oklahoma, even in urban and suburban environments. By nature, deer are very sensitive to sound, smell, and visual cues. Those sen- sitivities help them to survive in the wild. The most cautious of deer are the ones that will be more likely to evade preda- tors and live to produce and raise young. Deer recognize that areas near our homes tend to be safer from predators, so mother deer are likely to lead their fawns to quiet properties and leave them there while they forage nearby. This holiday season, take some time to enjoy the animals we associate with autumn. To support them, keep your bird feeders filled with fresh seed and suet, pro- vide peanuts and finely chopped fruit, and maintain a clean water source throughout colder weather. By doing those things, you will help to support the wildlife we all cherish as the hard winter months ap- proach. Despite their appearance, wild turkeys can run fast and can fly as far as 100 yards at a time. Photo courtesy of Linda Dawson, WildCare Oklahoma. White-tailed deer, which are common throughout Oklahoma, are in the same family as reindeer, which are called caribou in North America. Photo courtesy of WildCare Oklahoma.