Understanding The Difference Between A Softshell Turtle And A Pancake

I know, I know. It's embarrassing to not be able to tell the difference between a Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle and a chocolate chip pancake. But even the best herpetologists have problems with this.

Professor Turtle will teach you the difference!

Via quickmeme.com

Are you ready?

This is a chocolate chip pancake.

Flickr: jbowers789

The presence of maple syrup in the vicinity is usually a good indicator that you're dealing with a pancake and not a turtle.

This is a Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle.

Via faculty.bsc.edu

Unlike pancakes, turtles have a head and limbs. Things get tricky sometimes, however; always double-check your specimen for batter runoff masquerading as body parts.

Don't confuse the two.

platonicpillowtalk.com / Via platonicpillowtalk.com