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The turtle shell is a shield for the ventral and dorsal parts of turtles (the order Testudines), completely enclosing all the vital organs of the turtle and in some cases even the head. [1] It is constructed of modified bony elements such as the ribs, parts of the pelvis and other bones found in most reptiles.
A distinguishing characteristic of the genus is the secondary division of the abdominal scutes (the middle pair of scutes in the plastron) due to the development of the plastral hinge as the turtle matures. It eventually leads to the formation of small triangular additional scutes between the abdominal and pectoral scutes. [17]
The plastron is composed of 12 scutes and has no mesoplastron; the pectoral and abdominal scutes contact the marginal scutes. Some other features include a single articulation between the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae , the lack of a hyomandibular branch of the facial nerve , and an epipterygoid bone in the skull.
A scute (/ s k j uː t / ⓘ) or scutum (Latin: scutum; plural: scuta "shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds.
Side-necked turtles additionally have "intergular" scutes between the gulars. [16] [21] Turtle scutes are usually structured like mosaic tiles, but some species, like the hawksbill sea turtle, have overlapping scutes on the carapace. [16] The shapes of turtle shells vary with the adaptations of the individual species, and sometimes with sex ...
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Older turtles typically display an abraded or worn carapace. Fully grown, it weighs 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). [11] The wood turtle's karyotype consists of 50 chromosomes. [8] The larger scutes display a pattern of black or yellow lines. The wood turtle's plastron (ventral shell) is yellowish in color [10] and has dark patches.
While its carapace has five central scutes and four pairs of lateral scutes like several members of its family, E. imbricata 's posterior scutes overlap in such a way as to give the rear margin of its carapace a serrated look, similar to the edge of a saw or a steak knife. The turtle's carapace can reach almost 1 m (3 ft) in length. [10]