Skin and Bones

Many people don’t realize that the turtle’s shell is actually made of bone covered by a modified skin. Their ribs and vertebrae are fused into a boney plate that makes up the carapace. This means that when they injure or crack the shell, it is just like breaking a bone—and just as painful! The lower shell is formed similarly and is also made of bone covered by a modified skin. The skin has sensation, just as ours does.