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TUSome interesting facts about turtle shells:
Structure. A turtle’s shell is made from its ribs and vertebrae. It is divided into two parts: the upper domed section, called the carapace, and the flat belly section, called the plastron.
Function. The shell protects the turtle from outside elements and serves as camouflage. It also helps turtles swim faster.
Nerve endings. Turtle shells have nerve endings to feel on the outside and send signals to the brain. 3
Respiratory system. Turtles can’t expand their ribs to breathe, so they rely on sheets of muscles within their shell to pump in oxygen through their mouths.
Evolution. Scientists think that turtles originally got their shells for digging, likely more than 200 million years ago.
Additionally, the temperature of the nest determines the sex of the hatchlings. All turtles nest on land, and the nest is usually just a hole dug in the sand or soil and then filled in and covered with vegetation. Turtles are not maternal and do not care for their young.
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