The turtle is any reptile from the superorder Chelonia. Their most notorious feature is having a body encased in a bony shell. Although numerous animals, from invertebrates to mammals, have evolved shells, none has an architecture like that of turtles. The turtle shell has a top (carapace) and a bottom (plastron). The carapace and plastron are bony structures that usually join one another along each side of the body, creating a rigid skeletal box. This box, composed of bone and cartilage, is retained throughout the turtle's life. Because the shell is an integral part of the body, the turtle cannot exit it, nor is the shell shed like the skin of some other reptiles.

In the second volume of the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic the four Turtles are revealed to be specimens of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans).

Also SeeEdit

• Mutant Turtle

External linksEdit

• Turtle at Wikipedia