Turtle Labeling – Shell and Body Worksheet With a Key

All 12 parts on the diagram

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Start here: 5 main parts 5

Carapace The carapace: the domed upper shell, mostly bone, covered in scutes.
Front legs The front legs, each ending in claws.
Tail The tail, short in most turtles.
Head The head. Many turtles can pull it back into the shell.
Plastron The plastron: the flatter lower shell that covers the belly.

The shell: 6 4

Vertebral scutes A row of five down the middle of the carapace.
Costal scutes Four pairs beside the vertebral row, one row each side.
Marginal scutes Small scutes around the rim of the carapace, usually twelve pairs.
Bridge Joins the carapace to the plastron. The bony strip at the side, between the front and back legs.

Head, legs and tail: 6 3

Hind legs The hind (back) legs, also clawed.
Beak Hard keratin edges on the jaws that do the biting. Turtles have no teeth.
Neck The neck, which bends to draw the head in.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Turtle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle : the shell is mostly bone; the upper carapace and lower plastron are joined by the bridge; the shell is covered in keratin scutes; turtles have no teeth and bite with beaks of keratin sheaths on the jaws; most can draw the head into the shell, hidden-necked turtles by bending the neck down, side-necked turtles sideways; tails are reduced. (2) Wikipedia, Turtle shell, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_shell : the carapace typically carries 38 scutes and the plastron 16; five vertebral scutes down the middle, four pairs of costal scutes beside them and twelve pairs of marginal scutes round the edge. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

On this turtle labeling diagram, numbers 1 to 7 are on a turtle seen from above. Numbers 8 to 12 are on the same turtle from the side.

Read the full guide

Turtle worksheet word bank

In alphabetical order: beak, bridge, carapace, costal scutes, front legs, head, hind legs, marginal scutes, neck, plastron, tail, vertebral scutes. Lines 1 and 4 both end at the rim of the top shell: 4 on one of the small plates, 1 on the outer edge, where it stands for the whole shell. Line 2 ends on the row down the middle, and 3 on a large plate beside that row. On the side view, 11 is the strip of shell between the legs and 12 the flat shell under it. Number 9 is only the hard tip of the mouth.

Labeling the body of a turtle: five names first

The five main parts make a shorter sheet, numbered 1 to 5: carapace, front legs, tail, head and plastron.

When marking, upper shell or top shell is right on line 1, and lower shell or belly shell on line 12.
Back legs is right on line 6, and jaws or mouth on line 9.

Questions and answers

Is a turtle a reptile or an amphibian?

A reptile. Turtles are the order Testudines. They breathe air and do not lay their eggs underwater, though many kinds live in or near water. They are cold-blooded: their body temperature changes with their surroundings.

Do turtles have ears?

Yes, but they have no ear openings. A turtle's eardrum is covered with scales, which is why the sheet has no number for an ear.

How does a turtle pull its head into its shell?

By bending its neck, number 10. Hidden-necked turtles draw the neck backward into the shell. Side-necked turtles fold it to one side, in front of the shoulder.

Does a sea turtle have the same parts?

The two shells have the same names. The limbs differ: a sea turtle's front limbs are flippers and its shorter hind limbs are shaped like rudders. Sea turtles have mostly lost the ability to pull the head into the shell.

Does the turtle labeling worksheet have an answer key?

Yes. The key prints both drawings with their numbers and lists the twelve names in order, carapace first and plastron last.