The caruncles on a turkey’s throat
Shift in color as they emote;
So, too, wattle and snood—
Whitened, reddened or blued—
Resemble a limp pecker and scrote.
For more Thanksgiving fun, see also The Kims.
Turkey heads are featherless, perhaps to prevent them from overheating. Males, known as toms, have the most prominent features. Their heads change color based on their mood, particularly during mating season. If they are calm, they appear light blue and/or white. When excited or stressed, the skin flushes bright red. Caruncles, according to Wikipedia, are the “small, bulbous, fleshy protuberances found on the head, neck and throat, with larger structures particularly at the bottom of the throat. The wattle is a flap of skin hanging under the chin connecting the throat and head and the snood is a highly erectile appendage emanating from the forehead.” The wattle is also known as the dewlap, which is the term applied to the flaps of skin under the chins of certain lizards, such as anoles and iguanas.
