The Mysterious Turkey-Turtle of Red River Gorge (Fact or Fiction?)

Local legends and folklore occur everywhere, and the Red River Gorge is no exception! We stumbled upon this peculiar looking animal while doing research for the book in the yard of local resident, Randle Rogers. Part snapping turtle, part turkey, this “jack-a-lope” of the Red River Gorge defies reason or does it?

While the turkey turtle is just the result of a creative mind, fact is often stranger than fiction. Take for example the Hoatzin Bird of South America. We know that birds are distantly related to reptiles. Genetic research has shown that the Hoatzin may be more lizard than bird.

The Hoatzin is the last surviving member of an Avian lineage that branched off in its own direction 64 million years ago, shortly after the extinction event that killed the non-avian dinosaurs. The Hoatzin seen as living evidence of the transition between reptiles and birds, the wing claws of young Hoatzin birds frequently cited as proof of an ancient ancestry.

The hard shells of turtles are another example of a stranger than fiction sensation. Shells are marvels of evolution unlike anything else found in nature. Think all turtles have hard shells? Think again! The Spiny Softshell turtle has a shell that is more like a piece of leather than a shell. Read more to learn more about the fascinating turtles of the Red River Gorge. The picture I took of his turkey turtle he made is included here.