Is It A Rabbit Or A Hare? 5 Pairs Of Animals That Get People Confused All The Time

Some animals look very similar to the point that it’s easy to mistake them. From reptiles to mammals, numerous identical animals are walking on the surface of the Earth. How exactly are we meant to tell almost identical animals apart?

Well, we can’t do anything about that other than try to learn how to differentiate them. We can learn the ways that some animals with striking resemblances are different and also how not to confuse one for the other.

Here are some of the animal pairs that get the most confused.

Porpoises and Dolphins

Porpoises and dolphins are mammals belonging to the same animal family. And you may confuse one for the other if you don’t pay attention to their external features.

A dolphin’s beak is longer, and its teeth have the shape of a cone. Porpoises, on the other hand, have short mouths, and their teeth have the shape of a spade. In addition, dolphins are slimmer with curved dorsal fins. On the other hand, porpoises have a triangular dorsal fin.

Rabbits and Hares

Belonging to the Lagomorpha order, these two mammals may look similar but have visible differences. Hares are larger and have longer ears compared to rabbits. Their hind legs are also bigger and much stronger.

Moths and Butterflies

Differentiating between moths and butterflies can be very confusing. But with their external features, you can tell which is which. Their resting position is one way to tell the difference.

Moths rest with their wings open, but butterflies close their wings when resting. In terms of appearance, a moth tends to be generally dull in appearance as compared to a butterfly.

Llamas and Alpacas

Llamas and alpacas belong to the family Camelidae. Their sizes are one of the best ways to differentiate them. An adult alpaca may weigh between 100 and 175 pounds, while llamas can go up to 400 pounds.

In addition, llamas have long, curved ears, but alpacas have short spear-shaped ones.

Seals and Sea Lions

Seals and sea lions are pinnipeds. These fin-footed marine animals may look similar but very different. Seals have shorter webbed flippers, with their small toe having a claw. They also have hairless skin and adapt better to water than land.

On the other hand, sea lions have external ears; unlike seals, they have long fore flippers, long claws, and short thick hairs.