Turkey Facts
Thanksgiving treats
Biodiversity and ecosystem problems
Ecosystem Math
General
100

Where do wild turkeys prefer to sleep at night?

a) In your bed
b) In a nest made of spaghetti noodles
c) In trees
d) On the moon  

c) In trees

100

What’s the favorite Thanksgiving food of a wild turkey?
a) Pumpkin pie
b) Acorns, berries, and seeds
c) Mashed potatoes
d) A big slice of pizza

 b) Acorns, berries, and seeds

100

How does pollution hurt wild turkeys?
a) Turkeys mistake plastic for food and eat it
b) It makes their feathers turn bright orange
c) It makes them forget how to gobble
d) Polluted air makes them sneeze, scaring away their prey
 

a) Turkeys mistake plastic for food and eat it

100

If a forest has 10 species of trees, what is the species richness of the forest?
a) 5
b) 10
c) 20
d) 50
 

Answer: b) 10

100

Why do leaves change color in the fall (like on Thanksgiving)?
a) They want to dress up for Thanksgiving dinner
b) They run out of chlorophyll, which makes them green
c) Turkeys paint them red and orange to hide
d) The cold weather dyes them with frost
 

 They run out of chlorophyll, which makes them green

200

Turkeys have amazing vision! How far can they see?
a) Across the country
b) 3 miles
c) 1 mile
d) Across the dinner table

 1 mile

200

What would a turkey do if it found itself in the desert?
a) Build a cactus house
b) Gobble for help
c) Adapt by finding shady spots
d) Put on sunglasses  

 c) Adapt by finding shady spots and eating local plants


200

Why are wildflowers important for turkeys and other animals?
a) They look pretty in turkey selfies
b) They provide seeds, berries, and homes for insects
c) They keep turkeys from getting bored
d) They attract turkey best friends (also known as bees)
 

b) They provide seeds, berries, and homes for insects

200

Why is higher biodiversity important for an ecosystem?
a) It looks prettier and more colorful
b) It helps ecosystems resist changes and recover faster
c) It makes it easier for humans to count animals
d) It gives predators more things to chase
 

Answer: b) It helps ecosystems resist changes and recover faster

200
  1. Which animals might enter hibernation during late fall?
    a) Squirrels
    b) groundhogs
    c) Foxes

 groundhogs

300

Why do turkeys sometimes turn their heads red, blue, or white?
a) They’re celebrating Thanksgiving early.
b) To confuse predators.
c) It’s their mood ring.
d) They want to look fancy

It’s their mood ring – red = mad, blue = calm.

300

Which predator is most likely to gobble up a wild turkey?
a) A hawk in a chef’s hat
b) A sneaky bobcat
c) A fox in disguise
d) A polite coyote

 A sneaky bobcat stalking them at night


300

Deforestation is one of the biggest threats to wild turkey habitats.
 

Answer: True! Clearing forests destroys their food and shelter.

300

A forest ecosystem has the following populations:

  • 40 rabbits (primary consumers)
  • 20 foxes (secondary consumers)
  • 10 hawks (tertiary consumers)
  • 50 plants (producers)

Question:
What is the ratio of producers to all consumers in the ecosystem?

5:7

  • Solution Steps:

    1. Calculate total consumers:
      Rabbits + Foxes + Hawks = 40+20+10=70

    2. Ratio of producers to consumers:
      Producers : Consumers = 50:70

    3. Simplify the ratio

300

Which fall fruit is also known as a member of the gourd family?
a) Apple
b) Pumpkin
c) Cranberry
d) Banana
 

Answer: b) Pumpkin

400

What happens if turkeys eat too many insects?
a) They turn into superheroes.
b) They become full and take a long nap.
c) They spread seeds.
d) They start buzzing.

c) They spread more seeds by eating less fruit.

400

If a turkey could write a letter about threats, what might it say?
a) "Please stop cutting down my forest."
b) "Build me a mansion."
c) "Plant more flowers."
d) "Stop putting gravy on everything!"

 a) "Please stop cutting down my forest—I need it to sleep and eat!”

400

What is the BEST way to help protect turkey habitats?
a) Cut down older trees to plant new ones.
b) Build more roads through forests for easy access.
c) Conserve forests and plant native trees.
d) Feed turkeys in your backyard.
 

 c) Conserve forests and plant native trees.

400
  1. Compare two ecosystems using the biodiversity index formula. Which has higher biodiversity and why?

Ecosystem A:

  • 10 birds
  • 5 squirrels
  • 5 deer
  • Total organisms = 20

Ecosystem B:

  • 20 fish
  • 5 frogs
  • 5 insects
  • Total organisms = 30
  • Ecosystem A has higher biodiversity.

3 divided by 20 =.15

400

Which of these Thanksgiving leftovers is most likely to compost into soil?
a) Turkey bones
b) Potato peels
c) Aluminum foil from the pie
d) Plastic wrap from the cranberry sauce
 

Answer: b) Potato peels

500

If acorns disappeared from the forest, what would a turkey do?
a) Learn to bake pies.
b) Cry for help.
c) Eat more insects.
d) Move to the city

c) Eat more insects and berries to survive.

500

What’s the weirdest thing a wild turkey might eat?
a) A peanut butter sandwich
b) A baby snake
c) A cheeseburger
d) A giant marshmallow

b) A baby snake or tiny lizard

500

What happens to the food chain when predators like hawks disappear?
a) Turkeys take over the forest and start building houses
b) Prey like rodents multiply too much, throwing off balance
c) Nothing—it’s business as usual in the ecosystem
d) Turkeys become the new hawks and start flying everywhere
 

 b) Prey like rodents multiply too much, throwing off balance

500

Calculate the biodiversity index for a forest with these species and populations:

  • 10 squirrels
  • 5 deer
  • 15 birds
  • 20 insects

Answer: 0.20

500

How does Thanksgiving dinner connect to the carbon footprint?
a) Growing, transporting, and cooking food uses energy and resources
b) The more turkey you eat, the faster the climate warms
c) Carbon footprints are only about running shoes, not food
d) Turkeys invented carbon footprints, so they don’t count
 

 a) Growing, transporting, and cooking food uses energy and resources