Differences B/w Frogs&Toads, Turtles&Tortoise, Rats&Mice, Crocodiles&Alligators IN #1 POST!

Ever been in one of those situations when you can’t tell the difference between a turtle or tortoise or when your junior asks to differentiate between a rat and a mouse , you can only come up with the 'one is bigger than the other'. So here are some very interesting facts and differences which will surely enrich your knowledge in these circumstances.

Frog Vs Toad

Firstly all toads are Frogs. Toads are actually a subset of frogs and also belong to the order Anura but toads belong to family Bufonidae and are also called True toads whereas True frogs belong to family Ranidae.

                   

• Frogs have moist slimy skin while toads have dry bumpy skin.
• Frog eggs are found in clusters while toad eggs are found in long chains.
• Toads usually live in dry climates while frogs prefer moist climates e.g. ponds.
• Toads have short hind legs while frogs have strong webbed hind feet which are ideal for jumping and swimming.

Although it must be noted that there are some species of frogs whose physical characteristics are very similar to those of toads so its hard to distinguish them between frogs and toads.

Turtle vs Tortoise

They both are reptiles belonging to order Testudines but have different family.

•  HABITAT: Turtles live mostly in water, they only come to land to lay eggs. Whereas tortoises live on land and are poor swimmers.

• BIRTH: Turtles hatchling are alone from birth while a tortoise will provide protection for her young for 80 days.

• PHYSIQUE: Turtles have fins, webbed feet and long claws to help them climb onto surfaces while a tortoise's shell is shaped like a dome, they have short sturdy feet and long claws to help them for digging.

• DIET: Turtles are omnivores, their common diet includes small fishes and some insects. Tortoise on the other hand are herbivores ,they commonly consume vegetables fruits, grass and flowers.

• LIFESPAN: Turtles have an average lifespan of 60-70 years while tortoises can live up to 80-150 years.

Rat vs Mouse

• Mice have large ears relative to their body while rats have smaller ears.

• Mice are generally smaller in size 3-10 cm  and weights 12-45 gm. 

• Whereas rats are much larger hen mice 16-40 cm and weights around 150-300 gm. 

• Rats have large feet and thicker tails while mice have small feet and thinner tails.

• BREEDING: Mice give 4-16 pups on birth and birth 7-8 times a year while rats give 5-10 pups on birth and gives birth 3-6 times a year.

• DROPPINGS:

                        MICE                                             RATS

Size:               3-8 mm                                          12 mm                      

Shape:            Pointed ends                                 Banana shape

Quantity:         80 droppings per day                      40 per day

• FOOD CONSUMPTION: Mice consume 3 grams of food and 3 ml of water per day . Whereas rats consume 15-30 gm of food with 15-60 ml of water per day.

Alligators vs Crocodiles

They both belong to different families, alligators belong to alligatoridae and crocodiles belong to crocodylidae.

• The most common way of telling them apart is by looking at their mouth. All alligators have a wider U-shaped snouts while crocodiles have pointed V-shaped snouts.

• When a crocodile's snout is shut then the four tooth on each side of the jaw sticks over the upper lip like a grin but in alligators the upper jaw is wider then the lower jaw so when they close their mouth, all their teeth are hidden.

• Crocodiles tend to live in salt water habitats while alligators hangout in freshwater marshes and lakes.

Conclusion

The above article is an attempt by the author to make us better understand and distinguish between similar animals, so the next time you meet Mr. Alligator or Mr.Crocodile you would be calling them by their respective names.