Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunting generates millions of dollars for national and local government, and public and private groups are introducing the already widespread bird to new areas. Hunters work to preserve habitat and are among the keenest conservationists. Consequently, the turkey has been introduced to almost every state outside its original range.
There are six subspecies distinguished by colour, size, and distribution: eastern, Florida, Gould's, Merriam's, Rio Grande and Mexican. Turkeys eat fruit, seeds, tubers, bulbs, and greenery of common plants. They also eat small creatures such as snails, spiders, grasshoppers, millipedes and salamanders. In turn they are the prey of a wide variety of animals. Turkeys have suffered from urbanization, intense farming and conversion of native forest to pine plantations. They are also susceptible to the same sort of poultry diseases that affect domestic birds.
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