morphology of a turtle![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
plastron ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Relatively flat bony casing protecting the belly and cut away on the sides to allow the legs to move.
carapace ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Bony casing in the shape of a rounded hump; it protects the back and connects to the plastron.
leg ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Short thick articulated limb bearing claws and used for walking or swimming, depending on the species.
claw ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Slightly curved, rigid pointy structure; the forelegs have five while the hind legs have four.
scale ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Each of the small hard thin overlapping plates covering the body of the turtle.
horny beak ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Thick cutaneous formation covering toothless jaws; its sharp edges allow the turtle to feed.
eye ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Organ of sight located on the head and having poor vision; it can make out motion and colors.
eyelid ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Each of the three movable muscular membranes protecting the anterior surface of the eye.
neck ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Long flexible portion of the body covered in small scales; the turtle folds it back to retract its head into the carapace.
costal shield ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Large corneous scales set in a row on each side of the back shell.
vertebral shield ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Large corneous scales set in a row on the middle portion of the back shell.
marginal shield ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Small corneous scales set in a row around the back shell.
tail ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Small terminal appendage of the body that retracts into the carapace.
pygal shield ![click to hear](/images/speaker.jpg)
Very small corneous scale located on the posterior portion of the back shell, above the tail.