Wouldn’t it be cool to have permanent body armor for protection? That’s exactly what the shell is to a turtle — especially box turtles.
Their two-piece bony armor consists of an upper domed shell (the “carapace”) and a bottom flatter half (the “plastron”). These are permanently fused to the turtle’s spine at the upper shell, and ribs and breastbone at the lower shell.
But unlike the shells of many other types of turtles, those of box turtles are roomy enough to take in the turtle’s entire body. Their shells are hinged in the front, and once their head, legs and
