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When we often say "pheasant", we actually mean pheasants, but what is the relationship between domestic chickens and pheasants?
Can a chicken become a pheasant if it is released into the wild?
In fact, domestic chickens and pheasants are two different species, domestic chickens are our common poultry, while pheasants are the pheasants we are familiar with.
In terms of appearance, habits, voice and eating habits, domestic chickens and pheasants are still very different.
So what is the connection between domestic chickens and pheasants?
And how should we look at this?
1. The difference between domestic chickens and pheasants.
Domestic chickens are poultry that have been domesticated and bred by humans for a long time, so they are also called poultry chickens.
Domestic chickens have a history of domestication in the mainland for more than 5,000 years, and the domestication of domestic chickens began with the emergence and development of the Xiannong culture.
During the Zhou Dynasty in the mainland, the breeds of domestic chickens were already very rich, and domestic chickens also became the object of food and sacrifice, and occupied an important position in Chinese culture.
In the mainland, domestic chickens are widely distributed throughout the country, and they are the most important poultry birds in the mainland, and they are also the most numerous livestock in the mainland.
Domestic chickens also have a very rich variety in the mainland, the most famous of which are Fusui chicken, red chicken and bamboo chicken.
The pheasant is a precious wild animal in the mainland, the scientific name of the pheasant is the muntjac chicken, which is a bird of the pheasant genus of the order Pheasantidae, the pheasant is distributed all over the world, and it is a very representative bird, and it is also an endemic bird of the continent.
The pheasant appeared in the Pliocene, because its body shape and characteristics are similar to the muntjac, so it was named the muntjac chicken, and with the study of pheasants, people gradually found that pheasants and pheasants are very different, so in 1983 its scientific name was changed to pheasants.
The pheasant is also a very precious wild animal, and in ancient times it was mainly cultivated for its meat and feathers, but now people have adopted protective measures to protect the pheasant.
The domestic chicken has also been domesticated and improved for more than 5,000 years, so there is still a big difference in morphology between the domestic chicken and the pheasant.
Domestic chickens are fuller and fatter in appearance, while pheasants are more slender, and pheasants have stronger claws on their feet, which helps them to walk and climb in the wild.
And the pheasant also has sharp hooks on its claws, which also helps the pheasant to catch its prey.
In the muscles of the legs, the pheasant has more developed muscles, which helps the pheasant to fly and escape in the wild, and the pheasant still has scales on its legs, while the domestic chickens do not have scales on their legs.
In terms of feathers, the pheasant feathers are more brilliant and showy, while the feathers of domestic chickens are more plain and monotonous.
In terms of habits, domestic chickens and pheasants are also different, pheasants are a very social animal, and pheasants also attach great importance to social status, pheasants tend to fight for their status and territory according to their own strength and ability.
In terms of breeding, pheasants usually have a male and multiple female breed, with males mainly responsible for protecting their territory, while females are mainly responsible for incubating eggs and raising young chickens.
The domestic chicken is a very aggressive animal, the domestic chicken will be very aggressive when breeding, and even will fight to the point of claw scars, and the domestic chicken will also tell the location of its rooster when breeding, and the domestic chicken also has a sterile behavior.
In terms of calling, the cries of domestic chickens and pheasants are also very different, the cries of pheasants are very beautiful, with a clear timbre, and the cries of pheasants are very long, so the cries of pheasants are also praised by many literati and writers.
The domestic chicken is a very difficult animal to hear, the domestic chicken is very harsh when it crows, and the rooster still has a lot of volume.
In terms of eating habits, domestic chickens and pheasants are also different, pheasants are omnivorous animals, pheasants can eat anything, they can eat cereals, they can also eat insects.
Although the chicken is also an omnivore, it mainly eats cereals, and the digestive system of the chicken is not as developed as the pheasant, so the chicken only eats some insects, and the digestive ability of the chicken is not as strong as the pheasant.
2. Will a chicken become a pheasant when it is put in the wild?
Can a domestic chicken turn into a pheasant if you put it in the wild?
In fact, domestic chickens and pheasants are two different species, so no matter how long they are left in the wild, they will not become pheasants.
However, when the chickens are released into the wild, some habits of the chickens will gradually undergo some changes, and the chickens will become more vigilant when they survive in the wild, because the chickens are not protected by humans in the wild, so the chickens will be more vigilant.
In foraging, domestic chickens will become more autonomous, and domestic chickens will find food on their own, rather than waiting for humans to give food.
In the group, the chickens will gradually organize the social structure, the chickens will compete for territory, and the chickens will also fight for their own territory and status according to their own strength and ability.
In terms of reproduction, domestic chickens will also reproduce offspring according to their own strength and ability, and domestic chickens will be more adapted to the environment and climate in the wild.
Therefore, if the chicken is released into the wild, it may become a "wild chicken", but the chicken does not become a pheasant, so it is extremely irresponsible to release the chicken into the wild, because the chicken is likely to be killed in the wild.
3. The relationship between domestic chickens and pheasants.
Domestic chickens and pheasants are related in the family and genus, and domestic chickens and pheasants belong to the chicken family in the suborder, and there are great differences between domestic chickens and pheasants in genera and species.
So it is almost impossible to cross between domestic chickens and pheasants, and there are also great genetic differences between domestic chickens and pheasants.
Pheasant is a wild animal, and the distribution range of pheasant is relatively narrow, pheasant is mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the mainland and North China, and pheasant is also a protected bird, so people are not allowed to hunt pheasants.
The domestic chicken is widely distributed all over the world, and the domestic chicken has a very rich variety, the number of domestic chickens in the mainland is also the largest, people will get eggs and chicken through the domestic chicken, so the domestic chicken is protected by humans.
People are not allowed to hunt chickens, so people can't put chickens in the wild, so chickens will become pheasants, which is an irresponsible behavior for chickens.
epilogue
There are great differences in genetics and distribution between domestic chickens and pheasants, so it is impossible to cross between domestic chickens and pheasants, and domestic chickens and pheasants are also different species.
Chickens and pheasants are also very different economically and culturally, so it is irresponsible to release chickens into the wild.