• 12 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Turtle

A turtle from above, then side-on: the shell and the animal inside it.

Parts of a Turtle

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Carapace
  2. Vertebral scutes
  3. Costal scutes
  4. Marginal scutes
  5. Front legs
  6. Hind legs
  7. Tail
  8. Head
  9. Beak
  10. Neck
  11. Bridge
  12. Plastron

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-27. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a snake

All 12 parts on the diagram

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Start here: 5 main parts 5

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

The shell: 6 4

  1. Vertebral scutes A row of five down the middle of the carapace.
  2. Costal scutes Four pairs beside the vertebral row, one row each side.
  3. Marginal scutes Small scutes around the rim of the carapace, usually twelve pairs.
  4. 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

  1. Hind legs The hind (back) legs, also clawed.
  2. Beak Hard keratin edges on the jaws that do the biting. Turtles have no teeth.
  3. 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

These are the parts of a turtle: first from above, where the scutes on the top shell show, then side-on, where the two shells and the head show. Start with the 5 main parts.

Read the full guide

The shell

The shell is mostly bone. The domed top is the carapace and the flatter underside is the plastron, joined at each side by the bridge. Horny plates called scutes cover it: five vertebral scutes down the middle, four costal scutes each side and a ring of marginal scutes round the rim.

Head, legs and tail

A turtle has no teeth. It bites with a beak, hard keratin edges on its jaws. Most turtles can pull the head back into the shell by bending the neck. Four clawed legs and a short tail stick out.

  • Count down the middle of the back: five vertebral scutes, with the costal scutes in pairs either side.

Questions and answers

What is the top of a turtle's shell called?

The carapace. The flatter lower shell is the plastron, and the bony strip joining the two at each side is the bridge.

What are the plates on a turtle's shell called?

Scutes. They are made of keratin, like fingernails. A typical carapace has 38 of them and the plastron 16.

Do turtles have teeth?

No. Turtles bite with a beak: hard keratin sheaths on the upper and lower jaws.

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