ARE THERE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OR “SUBSPECIES” OF WILD TURKEY?
A “subspecies” is a geographic race or variety of a species which differs from other races in terms of range, appearance, behavior, or genetic characteristics. Subspecies are different from “true” species in that they are not necessarily reproductively isolated from each other, and they can and often do interbreed. There are 6 subspecies of wild turkey which have been described in the technical literature. The differences between them may be found in the References listed below. Subspecies have a 3-part Latin name, instead of the 2-part name for a species. The 6 subspecies are: 1. Eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). This is the most common of the turkeys, and is found in the eastern half of North America from New England and southern Ontario west to Minnesota, Missouri, and Iowa, and south to Texas and northern Florida. It has also been introduced to California, Oregon, and Washington, which are believed to have been outside its original range. 2. Florida wild turkey
