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The carapace is the dorsal (back), convex part of the shell structure of a turtle, consisting of the animal's ossified ribs fused with the dermal bone. The spine and expanded ribs are fused through ossification to dermal plates beneath the skin to form a hard shell.
Diagram of a prawn, with the carapace highlighted in red. A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.
C. serpentina has a rugged, muscular build with a ridged carapace (upper shell) that varies in color from tan, brown, and black, [6] although ridges tend to be more pronounced in younger individuals. The straight-line carapace length in adulthood may be nearly 50 cm (20 in), though 25–47 cm (9.8–18.5 in) is more common. [7]
The carapace is leathery and pliable, particularly at the sides. The central part of the carapace has a layer of solid bone beneath it, as in other turtles, but this is absent at the outer edges. Some species also have dermal bones in the plastron, but these are not attached to the bones of the shell. The light and flexible shell of these ...
Turtle shells are made mostly of bone; the upper part is the domed carapace, while the underside is the flatter plastron or belly-plate. Its outer surface is covered in scales made of keratin , the material of hair, horns, and claws.
The Florida softshell turtle is a large turtle with a flattened, pancake-like body, a long neck, an elongated head with a long snorkel-like nose, and large webbed feet, each with three claws. While most turtles have hard shells composed of scutes , the Florida softshell turtle has a cartilaginous carapace covered in leathery skin.
The borders of the carapace are made up of peripheral and marginal scales. [4] The pygal bone sits at the posterior end of the shell, and the suprapygal sits right above it. [4] Basilemys' plastron is octagonal and elongated. [4] Like the carapace, the plastron is made up of many bony elements, and the plastron can be divided into five distinct ...
The turtle's shell, or carapace, has an amber background patterned with an irregular combination of light and dark streaks, with predominantly black and mottled-brown colors radiating to the sides. [9] Several characteristics of the hawksbill sea turtle distinguish it from other sea turtle species.