All About Turtle Shells

Many people get the idea that the turtle's body is completely separate from its shell and this is not the case. Many turtle shells are attached to the turtle's body by way of being fused onto the rib cage. This is why the turtle shell is such a sensitive part of the turtle's body. Learning more about the turtle shell and its characteristics will help you be a better turtle pet owner.

The turtle shell is usually bone, but while most people think it is one bone it is actually many bones or plates that are joined very tightly together. The bones of the shell are covered by scutes (horny plates). These scutes do not mimic the actual bones that they are covering and these scutes can be shed and replaced with new scutes.

It is common for a turtle to peel its scutes as a cleaning process and this is done by turtles that are particularly fond of basking. When a turtle basks in the sun, its body temperature rises and if there is anything on the turtle's shell (like algae), it has a harder time absorbing heat and moving around in the water. Peeling the scutes sheds the layer that is dirty or clogged and replaces it with a fresh and clean layer. Peeling can happen at any time during the year. Some turtles start to peel when they start to hibernate and then, when they emerge from hibernation in the spring, they will often peel very rapidly. Sometimes, if a turtle is growing very quickly, it will peel its scutes to keep up with the growing of the shell bones. Pulling the peeling scutes off of a turtle won't harm it, and they usually come off easily.

Turtle shells come in different colours. While they are usually colored black, brown or green, some species of turtles have turtle shells that have yellow, grey, orange or red markings on them.

The shape of a turtle shell is determined by the bony layer of the shell.

The turtle shell is fused to the turtle's vertebrae and its ribs. The body is not separate from the shell (as previously mentioned) and damage to the shell can cause the turtle quite a bit of pain. Never tap or rap on your turtle's shell. It is the equivalent to having someone tap or rap on your spine. If the outer turtle shell gets injured or infection, that injury and infection can spread throughout the entire body cavity and threaten the turtle's life.

The fusing of the turtle's shell to its ribs means that the turtle's ribs cannot move. This, and the fact that the turtle does not have a diaphragm, make the turtle one of the creatures that cannot cough. This means that fluid entering the turtle's lungs can be very dangerous and often deadly.

The turtle's shell has a top and a bottom—the bottom shell is called the plastron and has scutes just like the top portion of the turtle shell.