Clear Answers for Common Questions

Rats and mice have many differences and similarities. It is challenging to determine specific areas of difference and commonality since there are a number of types of both animals. Usually the two species are compared by evaluating the differences between house mice (Mus musculus) and Norway or black rats (Rattus ...

Frogs and toads are both amphibians in the same taxonomic order but belong to different families (Ranidae and Bufonidae, respectively). Most Ranidae species have smooth, moist skin, a narrow body, long legs and teeth in the upper jaw. Members of the Bufonidae family have bumpy skin, a short body, stocky ...

Reptiles and amphibians are similar in many ways, and they are in fact distantly related, but there are several primary distinguishing features that clearly separate the two. There are a number of typical physical differences between the two types of animals, they often live in different environments, and they have ...

Atlantic and Pacific salmon are both in the family Salmonidae, along with trout, but they comprise different genuses, and have slightly different life cycles. Both types of salmon are commercially fished and farmed, which is something about which environmentalists have raised concerns. Consumers can help to support healthy fisheries by ...

The difference between protozoans and metazoans is that protozoans are unicellular organisms while metazoans are multicellular. The definition of metazoans is relatively clear for most examples, as are protozoans, though both have fuzzy edges. The term "protozoa" (meaning "first animals") refers to any animal-like unicellular organism, while plant-like ...

While both belong to the Primate family, monkeys and apes are distinctly different from one another. Millions of years ago, familial ancestors to both groups were identical, but evolution led to divisions within the family. They are both physically and evolutionarily separate, with clear distinctions apparent between them. Primates are ...

Microevolution and macroevolution are terms used to describe two related phenomena within the field of evolution. A distinction is often made between the terms for the purpose of bolstering the argument of creationism in an attempt to point out a perceived “leap of faith” in the argument of evolution. It ...

Cold-blooded animals are those whose body temperatures are regulated by their environment, and warm-blooded animals are those whose body temperatures are kept relatively constant by internal mechanisms. Along with the way their body temperatures vary, another main difference between these types of animals is that warm-blooded animals ...

Anyone who has been caught in a swarm of some kind of flying insect in his or her living room has a vested interest in deciding whether they are flying ants or termites. A few pointers can help distinguish the anatomy of one swarming insect from the other. Their bodies ...

Surprisingly enough, there is no actual difference between hair and fur. Though unique to mammals, they are chemically indistinguishable and are made of keratin, giving them the same chemical make-up as skin, feathers, and nails. The purpose of hair and fur seems to be the same, no matter the ...

Superficially, sponges and coral have a lot in common. They both just sit there underwater, filtering food particles, living in large colonies that provide habitats for other animals. Divers know that they come in many beautiful colors. But below the surface, these two organisms are completely different. Sponges and coral ...

Although often confused in folklore, popular thought, and even the names of some animals, rabbits and hares belong to distinct genera, meaning that they differ genetically and do not interbreed in nature. Rabbits and hares belong to the family Leporidae and are the two most well known members of the ...

The difference between Dungeness crab and Alaskan king crab is probably bigger than you think. They are both decapod crustaceans - a group that also contains lobsters, crayfish, and shrimp - and they are both found in Alaskan waters, but their similarities end there. King crabs are not true crabs, as the ...

Many consumers and restaurants use the terms “shrimp” and “prawns” interchangeably. Terminology also varies from nation to nation, which can make matters even more confusing. In fact, shrimp and prawns are closely related, but there are a few distinguishing features which divide the two. Unfortunately for most consumers, these features ...

While there are a number of similarities between human and animal hair, there are also a few significant differences as well. While these differences are relatively well known to scientists as well as companies that manufacture hygiene products that are formulated for household pets, most people are unaware of how ...

The stem group/crown group terminology was invented to classify the relationship of living and extinct organisms by Willi Hennig, a German taxonomist, the father of cladistics, in the late 1940s. It was part of his "theory of phylogenetic systematics" that revolutionized the way biologists and paleontologists look at life ...

Wasps are any number of insects that are mainly part of the superfamilies Vespoidia or Sphecoidea that may live alone or, more commonly, as part of a communal and social group. The term wasp is a general term that both hornets and yellowjackets are part of. In other words all ...

At first glance, especially to the untrained eye, it is hard to see any difference between seals and sea lions. Although these two animals look similar, however, there are big differences in their physical composition, social organization and even in their familial classification. Despite their appearance, the two animals are ...

The moth and the butterfly both belong to the order of Lepidoptera, the second largest class of insects. However, the moth is not classed scientifically as a separate group than the butterfly. Occasionally one sees butterflies classed as Rhopalocera, referring to the clubbing of the horns on the end of ...

Saurischians and ornithischians are the two groups of dinosaur, defined in terms of pelvic structure. Saurischians, whose name means "lizard-hipped," had a pelvic structure more similar to that of modern lizards, while the ornithischians ("bird-hipped") had a pelvic structure more like modern birds. Confusingly, many scientists believe that ...

Many decide that a hamster or gerbil is the best choice as a small pet in the home. There are a few noted differences between the two, which can help one make the decision about the best individual choice. One of the primary differences between the hamster and the gerbil ...

Both squirrels and chipmunks belong to the same family of rodents, which also includes marmots and prairie dogs. There are many different species of squirrel, but they can be grouped into three main types: ground, tree, and flying. The latter two are quite distinct from chipmunks, but ground squirrels are ...

Generally speaking, the difference between a horse and a pony comes down to height: a horse is usually at least 14.2 hands (4 ft 10 in, 147 cm) tall at the area between the shoulders, while ponies are shorter than that. Besides the height distinction, ponies tend to have ...

The name "crow" is used for an entire family of birds, Corvidae, that includes the raven species. To put it simply, all ravens are crows; but crows can also be jays, magpies, or other birds. The terms "crow" and "raven" are actually very general, and can be used to refer ...

Twins are siblings who are the result of a single pregnancy. They can be either monozygotic or dizygotic. The main difference between monozygotic and dizygotic twins is that monozygotic twins originate from a single zygote — or fertilized egg — and dizygotic twins come from two zygotes. Monozygotic twins are ...

When an animal embryo starts to form, it develops a round, hollow grouping of cells called a blastula. These cells then begin to differentiate into distinct layers known as germ layers, which will eventually develop into different groups of organs and body parts. Most animals develop from blastulas that have ...

Generalist animals are those adapted to a wide range of environmental circumstances and food sources, while specialist animals are really good at one narrow thing they do. An example of a generalist would be mice, which can adapt to practically any environment and consume a variety of seeds, grains, and ...

There are two primary groupings of bilaterian (bilaterally symmetrical) animals: protostomes and deuterostomes. They are also called superphyla, because each contains multiple animal phyla. The deuterostomes tend to be more complex, and include echinoderms, hemichordates, chordates (all vertebrates), and a few smaller phyla. The protostomes contain practically everything else, including ...

Animal and plant cells have some key similarities and noted differences. Understanding basic cell structure helps to understand how the cells differ from each other, and they do differ in important ways, as plant cells provide different functions for the plant than animal cells provide for the body. Both types ...

Synapsids include mammals and our distant ancestors, including pelycosaurs and therapsids, while sauropsid is another word for reptiles. Synapsid means "fused arch," a reference to skull structure. Another name for a synapsid is theropsid, which means "beast face," in contrast to sauropsid, which means "lizard face." Synapsids are sauropsids are ...

Norfolk and Norwich Terriers are two of the smallest terrier breeds, often with caramel brown wiry coats and sturdy little bodies. They’ve both become immensely popular breeds as they tend to be well behaved, and easy to train. Both types of dogs have small litters, typically only two puppies ...