Animal Place Sanctuary: Meet the Turkeys

Being a baby turkey is serious business. You have to puff up big and strong when weird humans take your picture. You have to make your head change colors so the human taking your picture knows you're mad. Mostly, you have to act like a grownup when you should be mothered.

Creek is a baby turkey. He is the size and weight of a turkey raised for Thanksgiving slaughter. He bears the scars of from wherever he came - the tip of his beak has been cut off as have the first digits of his toes. This is done without pain relief and to minimize overcrowding and handling issues.

Unlike his sister, Miwok the Ewok (who you will meet next week), Creek is a moody turkey. Like all turkeys, Creek can change the color of the skin around his head and neck in a millisecond! The color changes indicate mood. Really red and vibrant can mean angry or "I'm hot stuff", depending on other cues. A very pale face can indicate stress or shyness or "I'm not really here, don't look". A happy turkey is one who has a mix of red, especially alongside his neck, and some blue around his face.

Creek tends to be angry.