闭壳龟 (bìkéguī): Asian box turtle (Cuora spp.)

Measure Word

一只闭壳龟 zhī

Meanings

1 Asian box turtle (Cuora spp.)
2 turtle whose hinged plastron can close the shell completely

Characters

Examples

闭壳龟遇到危险时能把壳完全关上。

Bìkéguī yùdào wēixiǎn shí néng bǎ ké wánquán guānshàng.

When threatened, the box turtle can close its shell completely.

金头闭壳龟是中国的珍稀特有物种。

Jīn tóu bìkéguī shì Zhōngguó de zhēnxī tèyǒu wùzhǒng.

The golden-headed box turtle is a rare species endemic to China.

Tips

memory

Literally "shell-closing turtle" (闭 = close, 壳 = shell, 龟 = turtle). The hinged plastron lets it lock up like a box.

culture

Multiple Chinese Cuora species (金头闭壳龟, 三线闭壳龟, 百色闭壳龟 etc.) are critically endangered due to TCM and pet-trade overharvesting.

Stroke Order

闭 bì

壳 ké

龟 guī

Related Words

安布闭壳龟 ānbùbìkéguī

Amboina box turtle (Cuora amboinensis, the Southeast Asian box turtle)

黄缘闭壳龟 huángyuánbìkéguī

yellow-margined box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata)

闭壳肌 bìkéjī

adductor muscle (of a bivalve mollusk)

龟壳花蛇 guīkéhuāshé

Chinese habu / Formosan pit viper (Protobothrops mucrosquamatus) / a venomous pit viper common in Taiwan and southern China

黄缘盒龟 huángyuánhéguī

yellow-margined box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata) / Chinese box turtle

小金钱龟 xiǎojīnqiánguī

small golden coin turtle; small specimen or small-bodied strain of the three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata)

关闭 guānbì HSK 4 #2,087

to close; to shut / to shut down; to close down

贝壳 bèiké HSK 7-9 #9,786

shell / seashell / shell of a mollusk

闭 bì HSK 6 #431

to close; to shut / to obstruct; to block

龟苓膏 guīlínggāo

guilinggao / turtle jelly (Cantonese herbal dessert) / tortoise-shell and Poria herbal jelly