What's the difference between giant turtles and razor tortoises?

Giant turtles generally refer to giant musk turtles, while razor turtles generally refer to musk on the back of knives, both of which are necessary for turtle lovers. So what's the difference between them?

What's the difference between giant tortoise and razor tortoise?

1. Vertebra keel

The giant tortoise's vertebral keel becomes blurred (and may disappear) with age, while the razor tortoise's vertebral keel is always there.

two。 Ventral nail

Giant turtles have throat shields, but razors don't. Razor turtles are the only species of musk without throat shield. However, sometimes the razor will stretch out some abnormal shields here. I feel that it is the wrong armour and looks like a laryngeal shield, not a real laryngeal shield.

3. Dorsal nail

When the giant turtle was born, there were very obvious radial patterns on the rib shield, while the razor turtle was cleaner, with only two points the size of sesame seeds.

4. Sexual maturity

It usually takes 4-8 years for the giant male tortoise to reach sexual maturity, with the length of the back armour between 7-9 cm, while the average sexual maturity of the female tortoise is about 7 years (5-9), and the back armour reaches 8-10 cm. Razor turtles need about 10 cm to reach sexual maturity, which takes about 4-5 years, while males need 5-6 years, and usually reach 10-12 cm before sexual maturity.

5. Food habit

Giant turtles initially feed on molluscs, as well as filamentous algae and aquatic plants. Aquatic insects, pods, shrimps, fish, spiders and small reptiles are their food. The growing size has produced a change in food choices, from insects to molluscs, a species of musk turtles that have developed to have strong jaw muscle tissue and an expandable, decisive mouth. It's obviously adapted to molluscs. Razor turtles are omnivores and are eaten by insects, crustaceans, snails, clams, crayfish, amphibians, and aquatic plants.