Did you know that dolphin and porpoise are not the same?

There are many animals that look identical or behave similarly.  However, they are different from one another. Haven’t you, at some point of time believed that alligator and crocodile are the same? Or frog is synonymous to toad? Well, they aren’t. Today, let’s take a few similar-looking animals who are actually different from each other. 

Turtle vs. Tortoise 
In the USA, both these reptiles are referred to as turtles, whereas in the UK, it’s just the reverse. Turtle and tortoise belong to the family of Testudines and their predominant feature is of course the protective shells enclosing their bodies. The major difference between these two identical reptiles is this: While tortoises are land-dwelling testudines, turtles thrive in either fresh water lakes and rivers or saltwater oceans. Moreover, tortoises are mostly vegetarians, while turtles are omnivores.  

Dolphin vs. Porpoise 
From a distance, dolphin and porpoise might appear to be the same. However, they are different in more ways than one. Both these aquatic mammals belong to the family of Cetacea and come with a large and complex brain structure. This is what makes them super intelligent helping them generate sound waves and easily navigate the underwater world. Though dolphin and porpoise look very similar apparently, they have quite a few dissimilarities while it comes to physical appearance. If you observe closely, dolphin has longer and narrower beaks with conical teeth, while porpoise has relatively smaller mouths with spade-like teeth. Also, dolphin is slenderly built and has curved fins, whereas porpoise has bulky bodies with triangular fins. The most striking difference however is the fact that dolphins can make whistling noises and are regarded as social animals with a fondness for humans, porpoises are pretty much soundless and rarely interact with people. Also, while dolphins have 34 identified species, porpoises have only 6. 

Frog vs. Toad 
Frogs and toads not only look identical, they also share two important characteristics: They are both amphibians (can dwell in both land and water) belonging to the Anura family and they both lay eggs in water (frogs in circular clusters, while toads in straight lines). That’s not all, both their hatchlings pass through a tadpole stage before they grow into adults. What are the differences then? Frogs have hind legs with webbed feet and slimy bodies with prominent eyes. In contrast, toads have stubby bodies with warty skin and relatively short hind legs. However, the most important distinction is the fact that frogs like to stay near water, while toads stay inland.