National Animal of Turkey and Details

Turkey is a huge country with beautiful land and geography. It has islands, coastlines, and mountains spread all over different cities. Along with this, the wildlife of Turkey is also very rich, it has 1500 species of different domestic and wild animals. Some native animals of Turkey include foxes, wolves, beavers, boards, jackals, deer, wild cats, bears, hyenas, mountain goats, and gazelles. Some domestic animals of Turkey include camels, Angora goats, and water buffaloes. Some unique animals of Turkey include mouse deer or chevrotain which is also a mammal having the smallest hoof.

What’s the National Animal of Turkey

The national animal of Turkey is the gray wolf. Its scientific name is Canis lupus. This species belongs to the family of Canidae. The question is common that why is the gray wolf the national animal of Turkey? The answer is simple, Turkey has beautiful mountain areas and forests and gray wolves tend to live in such places and therefore Turkey got the gray wolf as its national animal. The gray wolf is also sometimes called timber wolf. The food of national animal of Turkey is mostly the moose, elk, or deer. 

The national animal of the country symbolizes strength and courage. It is an animal that represents Turkey. The long and brushy hair of gray wolf are sometimes light or dark grey or even brown or black in color. They travel in nuclear families in pairs with their pups. Visit the best places in Turkey and enjoy the existence of beautiful animals and birds.

Some Facts of National Animal of Turkey

This section highlights some facts and characteristics of the gray wolf.

1. Gray Wolf is the native animal of Turkey. 
2. The common names used for the gray wolf are Arctic Wolf, Mexican Wolf, Timber Wolf, Common Wolf, Plains Wolf, Tundra Wolf.
3. The average lifespan of the wild gray wolf is 6 to 8 years that might reach to15 years when in detention.
4. The habitat of the gray wolf could be anywhere. They are found usually anywhere in Northern Hemisphere other than the tropical forests. They could reside in the grassy plains, forests, deserts, or mountains as well.
5. The gray wolf is a meat-eater.
6. The weight of a gray wolf varies from 80 to 90 pounds.
7. They are social beasts and live in packs like dogs.
8. They have the capability to roam more than 20 Km in a single day.
9. They can wander for food in the vicinity of humans as well.
10. Their color varies from white to black and has white fur under the belly and neck.
11. They are very powerful and can run at a speed of 45 KM/h.
12. The breeding season of the gray wolf is between February to April.
13. They have a great sense of vision and smell.
14. The babies of the gray wolf are called pups.
15. The weight of gray wolf male species ranges from 94 to 98 lb or 42 to 46 kg and that of female ranges from 79 to 85 lb or 35 to 39 kg.
16. A gray wolf has five toes on its front foot and there are four toes on its back foot. Every foot of gray wolf has a heel-style pad. 
17. The gray wolf howl very loud that it can be heard from a very large distance.
18. A gray wolf has a conical skull which is also very wide. They have 42 teeth with a length of almost 5cm.

History of Gray Wolf

Carl Linnaeus recorded the presence of species of Canis lupus in 1758 in his publication named Systema Naturae. In 2005, a report by MSW3 (Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition) recorded about 37 species of Canis lupus in the year 2005. MSW3 is a database that has a record of mammalian taxonomy. It is written by Don E. Wilson. In the reports published recently, some more species have also been discovered.

Gray wolf represents the culture and forest habitation of Turkey. It signifies a certain set of principles that demonstrates the associated significance of the country. The national animal of Turkey, the gray wolf is the second largest species in the world of wolves. They have the tendency to roam even in the places where humans live. They are human friendly due to which their species are seen in villages and towns roaming openly in search of food.

National Bird of Turkey

The national bird of Turkey is Redwing. It is popular that the birds of Turkey are homeothermic which means warm-blooded. They do not depend on some serious environmental conditions to live and adapt themselves according to the current climate conditions and temperature. They can live in an inhospitable environment. The Redwing has more than 9,000 species.

Characteristics of Redwing

The following are some facts about the national bird of Turkey:

• A Redwing is 20 to 24 cm in length and weighs from 50 to 75 grams. 
• It is omnivorous and resides on earthworms and insects for their food.
• Their fur is covered with feathers and they have wings that are identical to their structure.
• They have a beak without teeth.

The native wildlife of Turkey has an enriched ecosystem and there exist many unique animals and birds in the vicinity of Turkey. The mountain area between Turkey and Spain has many different species of birds and animals. There exist a wide range of subspecies of the gazelle family that has become extinct since 2019. From marine mammals to wildlife, Turkey has very unique wild animals. There are multiple species of wild sheep and mountain goats that live on the hillsides. In the coastal areas and rivers, there are dolphins. Even the national parks of Turkey have very unique native animals such as caracals, bears, and wild boars.