If you're not deeply into wildlife or zoology, it’s completely understandable to confuse animals that look similar or belong to the same family.
To make things simpler, here’s a guide to some commonly mistaken animal pairs—and tips on how to distinguish them. With just a little insight, you'll be spotting the differences in no time and might even surprise others with your newfound animal expertise!
A Turtle...
Turtles are semi-aquatic creatures that divide their lives between land and water, though the ratio varies by species.
Most have flipper-like front limbs, perfectly adapted for swimming gracefully through their watery habitats—be it a calm pond, a freshwater lake, or the open ocean.
...Versus A Tortoise
Tortoises are land-dwelling reptiles that spend their entire lives on solid ground and almost never enter the water. Unlike the typically more social turtles, tortoises lead solitary, low-key lives.
Perhaps their most remarkable trait is their longevity—many species can live anywhere from 80 to 150 years, earning them a place among the longest-living creatures on the planet.
A Wasp...
Wasps are recognizable by their slender bodies and striking yellow-and-black coloration. Drawn to sweet foods, they're frequent (and often unwelcome) guests at outdoor gatherings, hovering around fruit, soft drinks, sweets, and sometimes even meat.
Despite their reputation as pests, wasps serve a valuable ecological purpose by preying on insect pests and helping to keep their numbers in check.
...Versus A Hornet
Hornets are usually bigger than wasps and stand out with their unique orange-and-black coloring. Although both hunt other insects, hornets show less interest in human food and usually avoid people unless provoked. Because of this, they're generally less bothersome than wasps.
Beneath their intimidating look, hornets are important players in managing pest insect populations.
An Alligator...
Alligators are mainly native to China and the southeastern United States, thriving especially in swampy regions such as those in Florida and Louisiana.
A distinctive characteristic that separates them from other crocodilians is their jaw shape—the upper jaw is broader than the lower one, so when their mouths are shut, their teeth remain hidden from view.
...Versus A Crocodile
In contrast, crocodiles are semi-aquatic reptiles found in the tropical areas of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia. Their faces are longer and more V-shaped than an alligator's and they're recognizable by their toothy grins.
A Donkey...
Donkeys are domesticated members of the horse family originally from Africa. Donkeys have been used as workhorses for over 5,000 years. They have distinctively smaller heads with shorter snouts than a mule.
...Versus A Mule
A mule is hard to identify due to the fact that it's a mixed animal made as a cross between a horse and a donkey. However, they tend to look like sleeker donkeys with the more graceful head of a horse.
A Seal...
Seals are blubbery little aquatic animals with round bodies. Despite their slippery appearance, seals are actually covered in fur—though it's only visible on certain species, like arctic seals. Their tiny front flippers force them to wiggle to move.
...Versus A Sea Lion
Sea lions, in contrast, have a very sleek look: their skin is completely hairless and their bodies tend to be thinner and longer. In addition, sea lions have long front flippers that allow them to walk.
A Rabbit...
If you're looking for a cuddly, cute critter, a rabbit is the way to go. Rabbits are small and fluffy with soft, angled eyes. They are social creatures who eat a diet that consists of vegetables—mostly leaves.
...Versus A Hare
Hares are like the muscular versions of rabbits. Hares are larger and have longer legs so that they can run faster than rabbits. Additionally, hares tend to live solitary lives and subsist on a diet of herbs, grasses, twigs, and bark.
A Seagull...
Seagulls tend to live near bodies of water, whether it be an ocean, sea, lake, or pond. They're generally acrobatic while diving to catch fish (or steal snacks from your beach blanket).
...Versus An Albatross
Albatrosses, apart from their more graceful appearance, are very different from seagulls. They are entirely sea birds who are constantly flying over the ocean; they even have unique nostrils that help them remove salt from water and food.
A Leopard...
Leopards are indigenous to the sub-Saharan African savannas. Their powerful bodies are slight and sleek, allowing them to move with great speed and agility while hunting down predators on the plains. Leopards generally have long, spotted tails
...Versus A Jaguar
In comparison to leopards, jaguars have a larger, stockier build and shorter tails. Jaguars live in the rainforests throughout South America and Central America, and unlike most other cats, they are very fond of water.
A Moth...
Moths tend to hold their wings in a tent-like fashion that covers their abdomen for protection. They generally have neutral-colored wings that blend into dirt and bark, and moths are strictly nocturnal animals.
...Versus A Butterfly
Compared to moths, butterflies' wings fold and flap up and down vertically. Butterflies are typically larger than moths and boast a wide array of colorful and intricate wing patterns. Additionally, they are generally diurnal (awake in the day).
A Dolphin...
Known for their chipper demeanor, these sea mammals are well-loved. However, their distinctive features are their bottle-nose snouts, sharp fins, and long, pointed flippers on each side of their bodies.
...Versus A Porpoise
Porpoises are often confused for or considered the same as dolphins, but they have a few key differences. Their snouts are much more rounded, their flippers are shorter and more rounded, and their fins are shorter than dolphins'.
A Coyote...
Native to North America, coyotes resemble mid-sized dogs weighing anywhere from 20–50 pounds. They're recognizable by their lean frames and the reddish undertones in their face and coats. They're often hunted for their fluffy, soft undercoat, which is used in some fashion items.
...Versus A Wolf
In contrast to the lean frame of a coyote, wolves are much larger animals with a broader and sturdier build, and they weigh anywhere from 70–150 lbs. Wolves live on multiple continents in heavily forested areas.
A Falcon...
Falcons are smaller, more nimble raptors. While they have small bodies, their wingspans are larger than most other birds in comparison to their body size. Falcons use their hooked beaks to snatch and kill prey.
...Versus A Hawk
Hawks, like eagles and vultures, have "fingertip-like" feathers at the ends of each wing, unlike falcons who have sharp wingtips. Hawks have round beaks and therefore tend to grab and kill prey with their sharp talons.
A Mouse...
Probably the best-known rodents, mice are recognizable by their small size, thin, long tails covered with fur, and their ears are round and large in comparison to the rest of their bodies.
...Versus A Rat
In contrast, rats are much larger than mice—even young rats are larger than adult mice. Rats have longer, thicker, hairless tails, and their ears are less round and more proportionately sized than a mouse's.
A Wolverine...
A member of the mustelidae family, the wolverine tends to inhabit forests in the northern regions of the world. They're recognizable by their brown fur with yellowish ring patterns and sharp claws.
...Versus A Honey Badger
Honey badgers are also members of the mustelidae family, but they are indigenous to Africa. They're smaller and have less noticeable ears than wolverines and are recognizable by their "cape-like" back markings.
A Raven...
The raven, as a member of the corvid bird family, are by far the most fashionable with their "beard" of fluffy neck and chest feathers that give them a distinguished look.
...Versus A Crow
While also members of the corvid family that has distinctive black feathering, crows look a little sleeker than ravens. Crows also have longer beaks as well as longer, square-shaped tails.