How does the shell of turtles/shelled animals connect to the rest of their body? I know it’s part of their skeleton but is it covered in skin? Where does the turtles flesh end?

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How does the shell of turtles/shelled animals connect to the rest of their body? I know it’s part of their skeleton but is it covered in skin? Where does the turtles flesh end?

In: Biology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The topside of the shell is essentially skin. The shell itself is made up of ribs that widened and fused.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The shell is an outgrowth of the skeleton. The upper shell is part of the spine, ribs and pelvis. This is what the inside look like. It is covered with something that may have been reptile scales 200 million years ago.

https://res.cloudinary.com/brooks-braithwaite/image/upload/v1569322854/exoticdirect-shell-problems.jpg