Could a turtle live outside its shell?
Shell Truth
Could a turtle live outside its shell?
You see a turtle sunbathing on a rock, and you wonder: could it crawl out of that shell, like taking off a backpack? Could it leave the shell behind and go for a swim in just its skin?
Here's the plot twist: a turtle's shell isn't a house it moved into. It's part of its skeleton. The top dome is made of about fifty bones — including its ribs and spine — all fused together and covered in those hard plates you see.
