Category Similarities and Differences

The foot: What is the difference between the foot of the Chimpanzee, Gorilla, and Orangutan?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between the foot of the Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), and Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)?

The Chimpanzee, Gorilla, and Orangutan are primates with five digits on each foot (five toes) with keratin toe nails. Humans also have five digits on each foot with keratin toe nails.

The Gorilla has shorter, wider digits than the Chimpanzee and Orangutan.

The Chimpanzee, Gorilla, and Orangutan have prehensile (grasping) feet. Humans do not have prehensile feet (their feet cannot easily grasp objects).

Continue reading “The foot: What is the difference between the foot of the Chimpanzee, Gorilla, and Orangutan?” →

The hand: What is the difference between the hand of the Chimpanzee, Gorilla, and Orangutan?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between the hand of the Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), and Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)?

The Chimpanzee, Gorilla, and Orangutan are primates with five digits on each hand (four fingers and one thumb) with keratin fingernails. Humans also have five digits on each hand (four fingers and one thumb) with keratin fingernails.

The Gorilla has shorter, wider digits than the Chimpanzee and Orangutan.

The Gorilla has a wider palm than the Chimpanzee and Orangutan.

Continue reading “The hand: What is the difference between the hand of the Chimpanzee, Gorilla, and Orangutan?” →

What are the similarities and differences in the faces of the Kangaroo, Pademelon, Tree-Kangaroo, and Wallaby?

f&m Leave a comment

The Kangaroo, Pademelon, Tree-Kangaroo and Wallaby are all macropod (large-footed) marsupial (pouched) mammals.

The Kangaroo, Pademelon, and Wallaby have triangular-shaped faces with black noses, whereas the Tree-Kangaroo has a square-shaped face with a pink nose.

Continue reading “What are the similarities and differences in the faces of the Kangaroo, Pademelon, Tree-Kangaroo, and Wallaby?” →

What is the difference between the Large White Butterfly and the Small White Butterfly?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between the Large White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae) and the Small White Butterfly (Pieris rapae)? 

Both the Large White Butterfly and the Small White Butterfly are white insects in the Pieridae family of white and yellow butterflies.

The Large White Butterfly is about 5-7 centimetres (2-3 inches) across its wings, whereas the Small White Butterfly is about 3-5 centimetres (1-2 inches) across its wings. 

The Large White Butterfly has a black band at the tip of its forewings (front wings), whereas the Small White Butterfly has no black bands.

Continue reading “What is the difference between the Large White Butterfly and the Small White Butterfly?” →

What is the difference between a barbel and a whisker on a fish?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between a barbel and a whisker on a fish?

Catfish and carp have barbels. 

Some people call the barbels whiskers, but they are not whiskers.

A barbel is a structure at each edge of the mouth of a carp and catfish. It can be long or short.

A carp has two barbels – one on each side of its mouth.

A catfish has several pairs of barbels – on each side of its face. 

Each barbel has taste buds on it, as well as smell sensors.  

Continue reading “What is the difference between a barbel and a whisker on a fish?” →

What’s the difference between the Emerald Tree Boa and the Green Tree Python?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between the Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus) and the Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)?

The Emerald Tree Boa and the Green Tree Python are both non-venomous arboreal (tree) reptiles and snakes.

The Emerald Tree Boa and the Green Tree Python are bright green with yellowish underbellies. 

Continue reading “What’s the difference between the Emerald Tree Boa and the Green Tree Python?” →

What are the similarities between the Alexandrine Parakeet and the Rose-Ringed Parakeet?

f&m Leave a comment

What are the similarities between the Alexandrine Parakeet (Psitacula eupatria) and the Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)? 

Both the Alexandrine Parakeet and the Rose-Ringed Parakeet are Asian parrots with mainly green feathers and a thick red beak. 

The Alexandrine Parakeet has a red beak with yellow tips, whereas the Rose-Ringed Parakeet has no yellow tips on its beak.

The Alexandrine Parakeet has a red patch on its shoulder, whereas the Rose-Ringed Parakeet has no red patch on its shoulder.

Continue reading “What are the similarities between the Alexandrine Parakeet and the Rose-Ringed Parakeet?” →

What is the difference between the Emu and the Rhea?

f&m 1 Comment

What is the difference between the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and the Greater Rhea (Rhea Americana)? 

The Emu and the Greater Rhea are large fightless birds. The Emu and the Greater Rhea are both ratites, because they cannot fly (the Ostrich, Kiwi, and Cassowary are also ratites).

The Emu and the Greater Rhea have a large, soft, grey-brown feathered body, a long featherless neck, and long featherless legs with three toes.

The Emu has orange-brown eyes, whereas the Greater Rhea has blue to brown eyes.

Continue reading “What is the difference between the Emu and the Rhea?” →

What are the similarities between the Alpaca, the Llama, and the Vicuna?

f&m Leave a comment

What are the similarities between the Alpaca (Vicugna pacos), the Llama (Lama glama), and the Vicuna (Vicugna vicugna)? 

The Alpaca, the Llama, and the Vicuna are all ungulate (hoofed) camelid mammals. They are related to the Camel.

The Alpaca, the Llama, and the Vicuna have soft sheep-like wool. The Alpaca has the second softest wool and the Vicuna has the softest wool.

Continue reading “What are the similarities between the Alpaca, the Llama, and the Vicuna?” →

What is the difference between a Seal and a Sea Lion?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between a Seal (Pusa) and a Sea Lion (Neophoca)?

A Seal and a Sea Lion are both pinnipeds – finned semi-aquatic marine mammals. A Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is also a pinniped. 

A Seal and a Sea Lion both have flattened heads with white whiskers. 

A Seal has short flippers that are thinly webbed with a claw on each small toe, whereas a Sea Lion has large skin-covered flippers.

On land, a Seal wriggles on its belly, whereas a Sea Lion walks on its flippers.

A Seal has no visible ear flaps (external ears), whereas a Sea Lion has visible ear flaps.

Continue reading “What is the difference between a Seal and a Sea Lion?” →

Cat, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Tiger Eyes: What’s the difference?

f&m Leave a comment

What are the similarities or differences between the eyes of a Cat (Felis catus), Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Leopard (Panthera pardus), Lion (Panthera leo), and Tiger (Panthera tigris)?

The Domestic Cat is nocturnal, active at night. The Cheeth and the Lion are diurnal, active during the day. The Leopard and the Tiger are crepuscular, active at dawn and dusk.

The eyes of a nocturnal animal have vertical pupils that look like a black line, called slitted eyes. The eyes of a diurnal or crepuscular animal have round pupils.

Continue reading “Cat, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion, Tiger Eyes: What’s the difference?” →

What’s the difference between the Warthog and the Wild Boar?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between the Central African Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus massaicus) and the Central European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa scrofa)?

The Central African Warthog and the Central European Wild Boar are both medium-sized heavy-set ungulate (hoofed) mammals, but the Warthog is pig-like and the Boar is a pig.

The Central African Warthog has two pairs of upward-curving ivory tusks protruding from its mouth. One pair of tusks is the upper pair, and the second pair of tusks is the lower pair, which is shorter than the upper pair. The male Central European Wild Boar has ivory canine teeth which protrude from its mouth, and the female has smaller canine teeth.

Continue reading “What’s the difference between the Warthog and the Wild Boar?” →

Fallacy: A Cuckooshrike is a cross between a Cuckoo and a Shrike

f&m Leave a comment

A fallacy is something that is not true.

A Cuckooshrike is a cross between a Cuckoo and a Shrike is a fallacy. It is not true. So, what is a Cuckooshrike?

A Cuckooshrike, a Cuckoo, and a Shrike are all birds, but a Cuckooshrike is not a Cuckoo and it is not a Shrike.

It is not closely related to the Cuckoo and it is not closely related to the Shrike. They are not very similar. In fact, they are in different families.

Continue reading “Fallacy: A Cuckooshrike is a cross between a Cuckoo and a Shrike” →

What is the difference between the African Leopard, the North Chinese Leopard, the Persian Leopard and the Snow Leopard?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between the African Leopard (Panthera pardus), the Amur Leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), the Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) and the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)?

The African Leopard, Amur Leopard, Persian Leopard, and Snow Leopard are all solitary, elusive, large felines or wild cats. All of the leopards have pale-green or grey eyes.

Continue reading “What is the difference between the African Leopard, the North Chinese Leopard, the Persian Leopard and the Snow Leopard?” →

Rhinoceros look-alikes: the similarities

f&m Leave a comment

The African Rhinoceros is a distinctive animal due to its thick, armoured skin and large curved horn. Rhinoceros means ‘nose with a horn.’ The critically endangered Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is also called the Hook-Lipped Rhinoceros. The White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is also called the Square-Lipped Rhinoceros. Most rhinos in zoos are the Southern White Rhinoceros.

Some animals are described as ‘rhinoceros’ in their scientific or common name because they have a horn that looks like a rhinoceros horn.

The Rhino Catfish (Pterygoplichthys scrophus) from South America is a fish with a ridged, armoured body and two horn-like protrusions from its head that looks like the horns of a rhinoceros. The protrusions are actualy nostril flaps so that water doesn’t get up its nose. Its body is completely covered in small plates that look like armour.

Continue reading “Rhinoceros look-alikes: the similarities” →

What is the difference between the Great Capricorn Beetle and the Rhesus Capricorn Beetle?

f&m Leave a comment

What is the difference between the Great Capricorn Beetle (Cerambyx cerdo) and the Rhesus Capricorn Beetle (Dorcadion carinatum)?

The Great Capricorn Beetle and the Rhesus Capricorn Beetle are both insects in the Cerambyx family of longhorn beetles.

The Great Capricorn Beetle and the Rhesus Capricorn Beetle both have hard, protective wing cases, called elytra, that are reddish-brown at the tips.

The Great Capricorn Beetle is thinner than the Rhesus Capricorn Beetle.

Continue reading “What is the difference between the Great Capricorn Beetle and the Rhesus Capricorn Beetle?” →