Anyone who thinks turkeys are only good for Thanksgiving dinner has never owned them as pets.

The brawny birds can create quite a spectacle, especially when they start to fight. While animal fighting was just outlawed in Arizona, we don’t think turkey owners will get cited if the birds start tussling on their own.

Tusslin' turkeys/submitted photo

This glorious turkey duo was owned by loyal reader A. Farley, who still has one of the Toms on hand. He adopted out the other one to an American Indian who wanted the feathers.

Close up/submitted photo

Turkeys first go at it by flapping each other with their wings, then kicking, scratching and clawing with their feet. Once they tire of that, they start shoving their beaks down each other’s throats.

How can Sawyer ever compare to that?

Once the throat cultures are complete, the turkeys return to their normal state as if nothing happened at all.

He said farmers are known to cut of the turkey’s wattle, or the red dangling thing that hangs from their beaks, so they don’t fight.

Don’t know why that works. Don’t know why people continue to ruin Thanksgiving yams by putting marshmallows in them, either.

Do you have a pet that rivals Sawyer? E-mail photo and comments to rynski@tucsoncitizen.com

Follow Sawyer on Twitter or he’ll throw you to the turkeys.

Some Tucsonans don’t really dig furry or feathered friends. They go for the scaly, dry pets that make you feel like you’re petting a shoe.

That’s quite dandy, of course, when the pet has a mug as sweet as this glorious bearded dragon.

Max Rockatansky/Ryn Gargulinski

This dude’s name is Max Rockatansky and his owner happens to be KLPX Wake-Up Call host Scott Barnett.

Movie buff Barnett named the lizard after a character in Mad Max and garners hours of enjoyment watching the critter sit under his critter log. Unless the lizard is being bold and sitting atop his critter log.

Max R’s favorite food is crickets, which also explains why his favorite TV show is the one featuring that wild man guy who eats bugs.

Max is not particularly a fan of Mel Gibson, but he won’t disclose that to Barnett lest he hurt the DJ’s feelings.

Basking in the sun is Max’s premiere activity and his least favorite pastime is a game Barnett invented called: “Why won’t you run around on the carpet, darn it?”

Max R/Ryn Gargulinski

Phoebe thinks the lizard is groovy, but it would be better if he would run so she could chase it.

Sawyer doesn’t care about the little lizard either way, as it would take too long to chew.

Do you have a pet that rivals Sawyer? E-mail photo and comments to rynski@tucsoncitizen.com

NEW: Follow Sawyer on Twitter (or he’ll pee on your lawn).