Same Difference

by David A. Rizwan

       There are a plethora of animals in this world that look like another animal, often causing a mistake in their naming. Such examples include the turtle and the tortoise, the alligator and the crocodile, the seal and the seal lion, the African and Asian elephants, and the white and the black rhinoceroses. These animals all appear the same at the first glance, but after basic inspection, it is rather simple to decipher the differences among the animals.

Turtles and Tortoises

     At first glance, the turtle and the tortoise appear to be the same. They both have shells covering their torso, with their extremities appearing out of the shell. They both move rather slowly, due in part of the hard shell. The shell prevents rapid movement due to its bulkiness, and with a hard protective covering with the reptile wherever it goes, there is no need to run.

     In all of their similarities, there are many differences between the two reptilian "shellbacks". The turtle is mostly aquatic and will most often not be found far from water. Its feet reflect this. They resemble small flippers. These allow the turtle to swim gracefully through the water. The tortoise, although able to venture into shallow water, has feet that appear like an elephants. They are thick and wide, perfect for desert terrain. The wide feet spread the weight over a larger plane, preventing the tortoise from sinking into the sand. Although these two animals appear to be the same, they are in fact very different.

Alligators and Crocodiles

     Along with the turtles, the alligators and the crocodiles appear to very similar. In fact, they fill the same exact niche. There is only one place where alligators and crocodiles share the same waters, the United States Florida Everglades. Like the turtle situation, the alligators and crocodiles appear the same to the untrained eye. However, there are also obvious differences. The most obvious, and the one used by zoologists the most often, in the differences in head shape. The crocodiles' head is long and comes to point. The alligators' head is shaped very similarly, but it is shorter and rounder. Another difference in the alligator and the crocodile is the structure of the teeth. In the crocodile, both the top and the bottom set of teeth are viewable when the owner's mouth is shut. However, the when the alligator's mouth is shut, only the top set of teeth is visible. This difference in the teeth is a reminder of each of the animals' temperament. The crocodile is extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to bite, however the alligator is very calm and is less aggressive than its cousin.

Seals and Sea lions

      Seals and sea lions are often confused because of their similarites. They are both part of the sub-order Pinnipedia, which includes walruses as well. Both the seal and the seal lion give birth on land and feed on fish. They both are both built similarly, although there are a few notable differences. The most important of these is certainly their mode of terrestrial transportation. The seal lacks all grace whatsoever and hobbles along on its belly to get from one place to another. However, the seal lion has the ability to bend the pectoral flippers and support its weight. Although this doesn't sound like much, this step up opens a lot of opportunities for the sea lion. Using this knowledge, we can confidently state that the old cartoons that portray a seal slapping his arms together are incorrect in their statements. The seal can't even walk, yet hold himself up long enough to slap his arms together! Another not so obvious difference in the presence of an external ear, which is similar to ours. Seals lack this earflap.

Rhinos

     African rhinoceroses are present in two forms, the white and black rhinoceroses. Both names are misnomers, in that both are a benign shade of gray. How can these animals that are apparently the same color and shape be any different from one another? Scientists really aren't sure. There is really only two differences between these animals to distinguish them from the other type. White rhinos are grazers, meaning that they eat grass and other small vegetation at ground level. Like horses, which are also grazers, they have a wide mouth. This is how the white rhino received its name. When the Dutch explorers seen this rhino, they called it the "wide" rhino. However the Dutch word for "wide sounded much like the "white" in English, thus the name stuck and has been confusing people for many years. The other rhino is the black rhino. They are browsers, meaning that they eat the leaves of shrubbery and small trees. Like the tapir, they have a long agile lip that is able to grasp onto things like a small finger. Then they simply pull the food into their mouth. The only other visible difference between the two rhinos is the aggression of them. The white rhino, for the most part, is the more docile one. The black rhino has very poor eyesight and will charge at anything that it feels may hurt it. Due to its poor eyesight, it has been observed charging at stationary rocks.

      All of the animals above are easily mistaken for one another, but there are many ways to tell the different kinds of animals apart. If you look for the external differences named in this article, there is no reason why you won't be the star of the show the next time you visit the zoo.