I was looking for thanksgiving turkey crafts to do with the kiddos this month, and also some coloring sheets, when I remembered something. The more I looked at turkeys, even the simply drawn ones, they all had that red thing dripping off the side of their head.

Apparently, it’s called a snood, but what the hell is it?

And why does it just hang there like that?

I’ve seen it called a wattle, too, but according to Time magazine, the wattle is actually the skin folds under the turkey neck that fill with blood and puff the bird up.

The snood might serve a similar purpose, but there doesn’t seem to be a consensus or clear explanation in what I’ve found so far.

I just find it a bit funny–what the hell is it and why?

On the other hand, the wattle’s funny in it’s own way. Snoods and wattles can vary in color, size, shape, etc. But what’s funny is the wattle seems to also be an indicator of mood.

So, a fleshy mood-ring around the neck?

Really?

And the color and such is supposed to tell females nearby that the male’s on the prowl for a date and they may just come flocking over.

Sheesh, the more I read on the turkey, the weirder it gets.

And I’m glad I’m not the only one baffled. Many of the turkey-project diagrams I’ve been printing out label that little beak-skin piece the wattle. And yet, that’s not entirely wrong, it seems.

Confused? Me too. I lost count of the differing explanations I’ve read.

Guess we’ve got something else to argue about come Thanksgiving dinner… better than election crap, I hope.

Any other weirdness you guys and gals have learned about the Turkey, or holiday food, or anything about Thanksgiving at all that would be fun to share? Go for it.

Floor’s yours…