Flower turtles and grass turtles are common national turtles, and many people keep them as pets. The offspring of the cross between the two is a flower-grass hybrid turtle, referred to as a flower-grass hybrid. Because they are hybrids, the flowers and grasses have many similarities with turtles and tortoises in appearance. Among them, the flowers of the flowers are very similar to the turtles, and the grasses of the flowers are very similar to the tortoises. They can almost be confused with the real ones, resulting in Many friends cannot tell the difference and often get confused.

The common national turtle - Chinese flowered turtle

Although in recent years, more and more friends have raised turtles with flowers and plants, but compared with flowered turtles and grass turtles, Huacaoza is still a non-mainstream turtle species and is relatively uncommon, or it can be considered a niche turtle species. In the pictures, texts or videos that Mr. Turtle has posted before, sometimes there are images of flowers and plants that are raised. Many friends have left messages one after another, suggesting that some more detailed introductions to the flowers and plants can be made to promote everyone's understanding. and awareness.

The tortoises raised by Mr. Thrush Turtle

Although Mr. Thrush Turtle raises turtles with mixed flowers and plants, he does not have much relevant knowledge. After receiving messages from friends, Mr. Turtle opened the Toutiao APP on his mobile phone, entered "flowers and grasses" in the search box above, and conducted a search. He wanted to check some systematic information about flowers and grasses. The results were surprising. Mr. Turtle was very "surprised + unexpected":

There is very little systematic information about flowers and plants on the Internet

From the search results, unexpectedly, most of the content about flowers and plants are It is some scattered content that Mr. Turtle previously published on Toutiao or other platforms. Although there is information provided by some other friends, I really can't find a more systematic introduction to flowers and plants. Some friends may have questions. Just because it’s not on Toutiao, it doesn’t mean it’s not available elsewhere. Under this explanation, although the search is on the Toutiao APP, its search results are for the entire network. This is a comprehensive search engine. When Mr. Turtle browses Toutiao content, when he encounters doubts or other content that needs to be queried, he can search directly in the search box above the Toutiao APP. Friends who need to search can also try it. It is very convenient and there is no need to open the browser to search.

Since no systematic information can be found on the Internet, and friends are in need, Mr. Turtle has compiled information one after another based on the conditions of the flowers, grass and turtles he raises, and tried to do some systematic information. Summary and introduction. Today we will briefly talk about what flower and grass are, and how to distinguish flower and grass from flower and tortoise, for the reference of interested friends.

1. Flower and plant hybrids that combine the advantages of flower turtles and grass turtles

Flower turtles are also called Taiwan grass turtles, pearl turtles, spotted turtles, etc. They are common and popular among friends. National turtle species that are often raised. The painted turtle is a typical southern turtle species, mainly distributed in Taiwan, Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi, and also in Vietnam and other countries abroad. The body and plastron of the turtle are rich in parallel lines and markings, giving it a good appearance. At the same time, it has a docile and lively personality, good interactivity, fast growth rate, and a sense of accomplishment when raised. It is one of the most popular pet turtles among everyone. But the flower turtle has a fatal flaw, that is, it is easy to rot the skin and the armor. It is known as the king of the rotten armor, which is very troublesome.

Flower tortoises are good-looking, lively and easy to care for, but they love rotten skin and armor

Top tortoises are also a classic national turtle and have been loved by people since ancient times. China's long-standing turtle culture mainly refers to tortoises. The ancients regarded them as the four great spiritual beasts (i.e., the Four Spirits) alongside the dragon, phoenix, and unicorn. The tortoise is a wide-ranging turtle species. It was once distributed in the wild in all provinces and regions except the Northeast, Northwest and Tibet. However, in recent years, due to environmental pollution, habitat destruction and over-harvesting, their multifunctionality has become extinct in the wild, making it difficult to see them anymore. Grass tortoises are docile, full of spirituality, have strong vitality, and have strong skin that is easy to care for. They are not prone to skin and armor rot like flower tortoises, so they are very suitable for families to keep as pet turtles. However, in terms of appearance, the tortoise can only be said to be attractive. It does not have as many patterns as the flower tortoise and is relatively monotonous. At the same time, tortoises are timid and grow slowly, and they do not have the same sense of accomplishment as flower tortoises, which grow quickly.

Turtles are docile and spiritual, but timid and slow to grow.

So, is there a kind of tortoise that can take the best of both the flower tortoise and the tortoise? How can we avoid the shortcomings of both? Not to mention, it really does exist, Huacaoza is just like that. It combines almost all the advantages of flower tortoises and grass tortoises, while avoiding the shortcomings of each. Because the chromosomes of tortoises and tortoises can pair up, the two can hybridize, resulting in hybrid offspring. Compared with flower tortoises, flower tortoises inherit the advantages of flower tortoises such as rich colors, liveliness, and fast growth speed, while avoiding the weakness of flower tortoises that are prone to skin and armor rot. On the body patterns of tortoises, flower tortoises mainly have parallel lines, which are inherited by flowers and plants, but the colors are richer and more varied than that of flower tortoises, and they are no longer simple parallel lines. Compared with tortoises, Huacaoza inherits the advantages of tortoises with strong skin and strong resistance, while avoiding the disadvantages of timidity and slow growth rate of tortoises. In terms of pattern, it is also richer and more varied than tortoise. In addition, whether they are flower tortoises or grass tortoises, we have seen them a lot, and we can always find that they are actually the same in appearance, with almost no big differences. But flowers and plants are different. Since they are hybrids, it is difficult to find two exactly the same flowers and plants. Each one has its own unique appearance. It can be said that Huacaoza is the culmination of the advantages of flower tortoises and grass tortoises, and is full of uniqueness at the same time. It is a turtle worth raising.

Hua Cao Zai combines the advantages of flower tortoises and tortoises

Because Hua Cao Za is a hybrid species, some are more tortoise-like in appearance, and some are more tortoise-like, and of course more Most of them have the characteristics of flower tortoises and tortoises. If you don't distinguish carefully, sometimes you will get confused. So how do we distinguish the difference between flowers and plants, flower turtles and grass turtles?

2. How to distinguish between flower tortoises, flower tortoises, and tortoises

Hua Caoza is the hybrid offspring of flower tortoises and tortoises, although it has many similarities with flower tortoises and tortoises. However, if you look closely, you will see that they are different in terms of carapace, plastron, head, neck, limbs, etc. They can be distinguished based on their differences.

1. The difference between the carapace of flower and grass turtles and that of tortoises and tortoises

The carapace characteristics of flower and grass turtles are both similar and different from that of flower tortoises and grass tortoises. The comparison of the carapace of the three is shown in the figure below:

Comparison of the carapace of the flower and grass tortoise and the tortoise and grass tortoise

(1) From the appearance point of view, the carapace of the flower and grass is more beautiful Close to a tortoise (the flower-like carapace of a flower-like tortoise is more like a flower tortoise). The carapace of the grass tortoise is elongated and oval, the carapace of the flower tortoise is more rounded than that of the grass tortoise, and the carapace of the grass tortoise is generally oblong, but slightly rounder than that of the grass tortoise, which is between the two of the flower and grass tortoises. between them, reflecting the characteristics of hybridization.

(2) From the color point of view, the carapace of tortoises is grayish brown (male turtles are black after inking), and painted turtles are reddish brown (the color will vary depending on the size). Young turtles are greenish. , the bigger it is, the more red and black it is), and the color of the carapace of the flower and grass turtle is somewhere in between, darker than the tortoise, but not as red as the flower tortoise.

The color of the carapace of hatchlings is greener

(3) Looking at the carapace ridges, the difference between the three is very obvious and can be regarded as the main sign of distinguishing the carapace. . These three types of turtles all have three ridges on their carapace. Along the head to the tail, the raised line in the middle is called the main ridge line, with a symmetrical lateral ridge line distributed on each side of it. The ridges of the tortoise are continuous lines with no obvious sense of disconnection. The ridgeline of the flower turtle is disconnected and shows segmented characteristics. The main ridgeline is divided into 6 segments (obviously 5 segments). The ridges on both sides are divided into 4 segments, one segment on each tortoise shell. The characteristics of the three ridges of the grass and grass are in between the two. They are not as continuous as the ridges of the grass tortoise, and can be seen as disconnected lines, but the continuity is worse than that of the flower tortoise, and the disconnection is not so obvious. Judging from the color of the ridges, the three are also different. The tortoise is grayer (the adult tortoise is darker), the flower tortoise is reddish brown, and the flower tortoise is somewhere in between.

The ridge line of the carapace of the flowered turtle is segmented

2. The difference between the plastron of the flowered turtle and the plastron of the flowered tortoise and the tortoise

The plastron is One of the most obvious signs to distinguish the three, it is also the easiest to judge and can be distinguished at a glance. The comparison between the plastrons of flower and grass tortoises and tortoises and tortoises is shown in the following picture:

Comparison of the plastrons of flower and grass tortoises and tortoises and tortoises

The plastrons of tortoises have An all-black base (pictured above), or a base with black squares. But no matter which case it is, the coloring is very uniform, it is pure black, with no obvious blur and divergence. Although the plastron of the painted turtle also has black patches, the shape of the patches is dot-like round spots, not the square or completely black of the tortoise, and the color is divergent, with the center being black and the farther outwards. The more blurry it is, the more obvious it is. On the side of the plastron of the flower turtle, there are circular spots, which are lighter in color and shaped like pearls. This is why the flower turtle is also called the pearl turtle. The plastron of the flower and grass turtle is basically the same as the flower turtle in appearance, but it is different in color. The plastron spots mixed with flowers and plants are pure black in color, without the divergent fuzzy feeling of the flower turtle. The round spots on the sides of the plastron are also darker in color than those in turtles. It can be thought that the shape of the plastron of the flower and grass turtle is inherited from the flower tortoise, and the color is inherited from the grass tortoise.

3. The difference between the heads of flower and grass turtles and turtles and tortoises

The differences between the heads of the three species can be compared from the dorsal and plastron surfaces respectively. Compared with flower tortoises and grass tortoises, the heads of flowers and plants have similarities and differences.

(1) Differences in head characteristics on the carapace surface

Comparison of the head (carapace surface) of flower and grass tortoises and turtles

From the back The nail surface compares the head characteristics of the three, mainly distinguishing them from aspects such as color and pattern. The head of a tortoise is an obvious muscle head. There are two muscles on the back of the head, that is, behind the eyes. The bigger the muscles are, the more obvious they are. The heads of turtles and turtles are relatively flat and have no sense of muscles. Judging from the color, the turtle's head is blue-gray with no patterns. The heads of turtles and turtles are both green in color and have patterns, but the patterns on turtles and turtles are different. The pattern of flower tortoises is regular continuous parallel lines, while the overall pattern of flowers and plants is linear, but the lines are thicker and discontinuous than that of flower tortoises, with breaks in the middle.

(2) Differences in the characteristics of the plastron surface and head

Comparison of the head (plastron surface) of flower and grass turtles and turtles and tortoises

From the plastron surface Looking at the characteristics of the head, both turtles and flowers have flower heads, and the patterns on their heads are obvious. The tortoise has very few patterns, is very plain, and is almost a solid color. From the perspective of the plastron, the heads of flower turtles and flower and grass turtles are very similar, and it is difficult to distinguish them without careful identification. However, if you carefully distinguish the pattern characteristics, you can still see the differences. The pattern on the lower jaw of the flowers and plants is thick and irregular, while the lines of the flowers and turtles are slightly thinner, not as messy as the flowers and plants. The pattern on the upper jaw is thinner in turtles and is a continuous parallel line without interruption. The lines of flowers and plants are thick, not parallel, discontinuous, and have many broken lines in the middle.

4. The difference between the turtle face and neck (neck)

Comparison of the face and neck characteristics of flower and grass turtles and tortoises and tortoises

Turtle face and neck The difference on the neck mainly depends on the pattern, which is very easy to distinguish. Judging from the facial features, although the three are all painted-faced turtles, their patterns are obviously different. The patterns on the tortoise's face are sparse and irregular, consisting of scattered dots or lines. The turtle face is a typical face with regular parallel lines. The lines are continuous and uninterrupted, extending from the neck to the face. Although the flowers and grasses generally have a straight face, compared with the flower tortoise, the lines are thicker and discontinuous, mostly disconnected in the middle, and there is no regularity. They are not parallel lines like the flower tortoise. It can be considered that the colorful face is a combination of the floral and tortoise patterns, reflecting hybrid characteristics.

Judging from the characteristics of the neck (neck), tortoises have sparse dotted patterns, while turtles and grass turtles have linear necks. The difference between the turtle's neck and the turtle's neck is the thickness and continuity of the lines. The pattern on the turtle's neck is still a continuous parallel thin line, while the flower's neck is generally linear, but the dots of the turtle are superimposed, and the line color and The thickness is different from that of flower turtles.

5. The difference between eyes

Comparison between the eyes of flower and grass turtles and turtles and tortoises

The eyes of tortoises are very easy to distinguish from the other two. Black eyes, white eyes, or eye circles are all different from turtles and flowers. The eyes of Huagui and Huazai are divided into two halves by a black line in the middle. Both the black eyes and the white eyes are semicircular. The tortoise's eyes are not divided by black lines, and the white eyes are flowery, black and white, not pure white. Judging from the eye circles, the grass tortoise is light gray without patterns, while the eye circles of the flower turtle and the flower and grass turtle are all lines and patterns.

The eyes of turtles and turtles are very similar. Whether it is the overall characteristics, black eyes or white eyes, they can be considered to be basically the same and difficult to distinguish. But we can distinguish them from the eye rim patterns. Although the eye rims of both are line patterns, the lines of the flower tortoise are thin and parallel. The eye circles with flowers and plants have thick lines, which are not as regular as those with flower tortoises, and are not strictly parallel.

6. Distinguishing the mouth and nose features

Comparison of the mouth and nose of the flower and grass tortoise and the tortoise

From the perspective of the mouth characteristics, the tortoise The mouth of the flower turtle is short, and the mouth of the flower turtle is between the two. From the tip of the nose, the main difference is the nose lines. The nose of a tortoise is a solid color with few patterns (i.e. no nose lines). The tips of the noses of turtles and flowers have nose lines, and they are all linear nose lines. The nose prints of flower turtles and flower turtles are very similar. The difference between the two is that the nose prints of flower turtles are thinner and parallel lines; while the nose prints of flower turtles are thicker and less regular than those of flower turtles.

7. Differences in limbs

Comparison of the limbs of flower and grass turtles and tortoises and tortoises

The difference between the limbs mainly depends on the pattern, and the limbs of tortoises are solid colors There are no patterns, while turtles and flowers and plants all have patterns. The patterns on the limbs of the turtle are continuous thin parallel lines that are connected to other parts of the body without interruption. For example, the stripes on the forelimbs are together with the stripes on the neck and are not disconnected. As for the flowers and plants, the overall pattern is also striped, but discontinuous, with interruptions, and irregular dots interspersed in the middle of the lines. That is to say, the linear stripes on the legs of flower tortoises are inherited from flower tortoises, while the dots are inherited from tortoises, reflecting the characteristics of hybridization.

To sum up, there are similarities and differences between flowers and grasses, turtles and tortoises. We can distinguish them from different aspects such as carapace, plastron, head, face and neck, eyes, mouth and nose, and limbs. Among them, comparison based on the carapace ridge characteristics, plastron plaques and pattern characteristics of various parts of the body is a relatively simple and clear judgment method.

3. Conclusion

Flower tortoises and grass tortoises are common national tortoises, and they are also the two most common pet turtles kept in households. Tortoises have rich patterns, are lively and active, and grow quickly, but they are very susceptible to skin and armor rot. Tortoises are docile and easy to care for, but their flowers are not rich in color and their growth rate is slow. The hybrid offspring of flower tortoises and grass tortoises have mixed flowers and grass. They inherit the advantages of flower tortoises and grass tortoises, but at the same time avoid the shortcomings of flower turtles that are prone to skin and armor rot, and grass tortoises that grow slowly. They are the culmination of the advantages of flower tortoises and grass tortoises. By.

Because they are hybrids, Huacaoza has many similarities with turtles and tortoises. We can distinguish the three types of turtles from the specific characteristics of their different body parts. Among them, they can be easily distinguished based on the ridge characteristics on the carapace, the patch characteristics of the plastron, and the different patterns on various parts of the body. The carapace ridges of grass tortoises are linear, the ridges of flower tortoises are segmented, and the ridges of flower and grass turtles are somewhere in between. The plastron is mainly judged from the pattern of patches. Grass tortoises have pure black plastrons (whole or large squares), while tortoises and flower tortoises have spotted plastrons. The spots of flower tortoises are light in color, and the spots of flower and grass species are black. Judging from the body patterns, grass tortoises have few and not abundant patterns, flower tortoises have regular parallel lines, while flowers and plants have rich patterns, including parallel lines and irregular points or lines. Unlike the same tortoises and tortoises, because they are hybrids, each tortoise is unique, which is perhaps its greatest charm.