{"id":103320,"date":"2022-04-22T12:33:41","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/"},"modified":"2022-04-22T12:33:41","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:33:41","slug":"are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/","title":{"rendered":"Are turtle shells made out of calcium carbonate?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_turtle_shells_made_out_of_calcium_carbonate\" title=\"Are turtle shells made out of calcium carbonate?\">Are turtle shells made out of calcium carbonate?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_turtle_shells_made_of_plastic\" title=\"Are turtle shells made of plastic?\">Are turtle shells made of plastic?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#How_do_turtles_make_shell\" title=\"How do turtles make shell?\">How do turtles make shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#What_material_is_a_turtle_shell_made_out_of\" title=\"What material is a turtle shell made out of?\">What material is a turtle shell made out of?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Do_turtles_have_calcium_shells\" title=\"Do turtles have calcium shells?\">Do turtles have calcium shells?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#What_is_inside_a_turtle_shell\" title=\"What is inside a turtle shell?\">What is inside a turtle shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#What_are_turtle_shells_made_out_of\" title=\"What are turtle shells made out of?\">What are turtle shells made out of?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#How_can_you_tell_a_tortoise_shell_from_plastic\" title=\"How can you tell a tortoise shell from plastic?\">How can you tell a tortoise shell from plastic?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_tortoise_shells_bulletproof\" title=\"Are tortoise shells bulletproof?\">Are tortoise shells bulletproof?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Can_a_turtle_live_without_a_shell\" title=\"Can a turtle live without a shell?\">Can a turtle live without a shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_turtles_born_with_their_shell\" title=\"Are turtles born with their shell?\">Are turtles born with their shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Can_turtles_feel_their_shell\" title=\"Can turtles feel their shell?\">Can turtles feel their shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Is_a_turtle_shell_plastic\" title=\"Is a turtle shell plastic?\">Is a turtle shell plastic?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Can_a_turtle_survive_without_a_shell\" title=\"Can a turtle survive without a shell?\">Can a turtle survive without a shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_turtle_shells_bulletproof\" title=\"Are turtle shells bulletproof?\">Are turtle shells bulletproof?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#What_is_the_shell_of_a_turtle_made_of\" title=\"What is the shell of a turtle made of?\">What is the shell of a turtle made of?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#How_does_a_turtle_get_calcium\" title=\"How does a turtle get calcium?\">How does a turtle get calcium?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Do_turtles_have_hard_shells\" title=\"Do turtles have hard shells?\">Do turtles have hard shells?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Is_there_a_body_inside_turtle_shell\" title=\"Is there a body inside turtle shell?\">Is there a body inside turtle shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#What_is_a_turtle_shell_made_of\" title=\"What is a turtle shell made of?\">What is a turtle shell made of?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#What_is_under_the_shell_of_a_turtle\" title=\"What is under the shell of a turtle?\">What is under the shell of a turtle?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_turtle_shells_made_of_cartilage\" title=\"Are turtle shells made of cartilage?\">Are turtle shells made of cartilage?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Can_turtles_live_without_their_shell\" title=\"Can turtles live without their shell?\">Can turtles live without their shell?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_turtle_shells_toxic\" title=\"Are turtle shells toxic?\">Are turtle shells toxic?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-turtle-shells-made-out-of-calcium-carbonate\/#Are_tortoise_shells_plastic\" title=\"Are tortoise shells plastic?\">Are tortoise shells plastic?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_turtle_shells_made_out_of_calcium_carbonate\"><\/span>Are turtle shells made out of calcium carbonate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Turtle shells are made out of bones, and the exterior is covered with a keratin layer. The bones that make the shell are made out of the same things all bones are made out of: collagen, which is a protein, and calcium phosphate, and calcium carbonate.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_turtle_shells_made_of_plastic\"><\/span>Are turtle shells made of plastic?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Tortoise shell is a natural thermoplastic material, and behaves very much like certain synthetic or semisynthetic plastics. Using heat and pressure (molding), the artisan can fuse several thin pieces into one thick piece and then, to a certain degree, form it into desired shapes (Bariand and Poirot, 1998).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_turtles_make_shell\"><\/span>How do turtles make shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Much like our bones, the primary mineral in a turtle shell is calcium phosphate. Turtle embryos develop shells <b>through the fusion of rib bones and back bones. The upper portion of the shell is called the carapace and the lower portion is called the plastron.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_material_is_a_turtle_shell_made_out_of\"><\/span>What material is a turtle shell made out of?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>keratin<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_turtles_have_calcium_shells\"><\/span>Do turtles have calcium shells?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Calcium is highly important to many creatures, but especially turtles. It acts as a biochemical messenger that performs in many pathways and transmissions. Without the proper amount of calcium, your turtle&#8217;s shell and skeletal system <b>will likely be soft<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_inside_a_turtle_shell\"><\/span>What is inside a turtle shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Absolutely yes! Tortoises and turtles feel their shell very well because there are nerves that lead back to their nervous system. They can feel their shell being stroked, scratched, tapped, or otherwise touched. <b>Tortoise and turtle shells are also sensitive enough to feel pain.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_turtle_shells_made_out_of\"><\/span>What are turtle shells made out of?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The shell is made of <b>two pieces, the carapace (top) and the plastron (bottom), which are fused together on each side at what&#8217;s called a bridge. The carapace is covered by an outer layer of individual pieces called scoots. These are made of keratin, just like your hair and nails.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_you_tell_a_tortoise_shell_from_plastic\"><\/span>How can you tell a tortoise shell from plastic?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>4) <b>The Turtle Shell is Not Bulletproof.<\/b> The turtle shell has nerves and blood supply, and is actually made of up to 60 different bones that are connected together, so any injury to the shell structuremight make the turtle bleed and suffer from pain.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_tortoise_shells_bulletproof\"><\/span>Are tortoise shells bulletproof?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They are made of <b>keratin, a material quite similar in composition to human hair and nails. The land-dwelling turtles do not shed and their scutes develop by the addition of keratin layers, whereas the marine turtles do shed.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_turtle_live_without_a_shell\"><\/span>Can a turtle live without a shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Can Turtles Live Without Their Shell? In short, <b>no, turtles cannot live without their shells! Unlike other species of shelled animals, most notoriously the hermit crab, turtles are attached to their shells. Their shells are a part of their body in the same way that fingernails are a part of a human&#8217;s body.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_turtles_born_with_their_shell\"><\/span>Are turtles born with their shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Yes. <\/b><b>Every turtle is born with their shell. Unlike other reptiles that shed, a turtle will have just one shell for life. It grows as the turtle grows.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_turtles_feel_their_shell\"><\/span>Can turtles feel their shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A: <b>Yes a turtle&#8217;s shell does have feeling! If you scratch a turtle, he will feel it just as if you were scratching his skin. He can also feel pain through his shell.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_a_turtle_shell_plastic\"><\/span>Is a turtle shell plastic?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Tortoise shell is a natural thermoplastic material, and behaves very much like certain synthetic or semisynthetic plastics. Using heat and pressure (molding), the artisan can fuse several thin pieces into one thick piece and then, to a certain degree, form it into desired shapes (Bariand and Poirot, 1998).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_turtle_survive_without_a_shell\"><\/span>Can a turtle survive without a shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Can Turtles Live Without Their Shell? In short, <b>no, turtles cannot live without their shells! Unlike other species of shelled animals, most notoriously the hermit crab, turtles are attached to their shells. Their shells are a part of their body in the same way that fingernails are a part of a human&#8217;s body.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_turtle_shells_bulletproof\"><\/span>Are turtle shells bulletproof?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>4) <b>The Turtle Shell is Not Bulletproof.<\/b> The turtle shell has nerves and blood supply, and is actually made of up to 60 different bones that are connected together, so any injury to the shell structuremight make the turtle bleed and suffer from pain.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_shell_of_a_turtle_made_of\"><\/span>What is the shell of a turtle made of?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The shell is made up of <b>large, hard scales called SCUTES. Most turtles have 13 scutes on the top shell. The top shell can come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. The bottom shell also varies in size and color.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_a_turtle_get_calcium\"><\/span>How does a turtle get calcium?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>A turtle&#8217;s shell is unique in that it is made up of around 50 bones, with ribs, shoulder bones and vertebrae fused together to form a hard external shell.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_turtles_have_hard_shells\"><\/span>Do turtles have hard shells?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Absolutely yes! Tortoises and turtles feel their shell very well because there are nerves that lead back to their nervous system. They can feel their shell being stroked, scratched, tapped, or otherwise touched. <b>Tortoise and turtle shells are also sensitive enough to feel pain<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_there_a_body_inside_turtle_shell\"><\/span>Is there a body inside turtle shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Rather the shell is part of the turtle&#8217;s body and is made of bones, collagen, skin, and keratin. <b>The turtle doesn&#8217;t have a separate body within the shell. As such, the shell has nerve endings and can bleed when damaged.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_turtle_shell_made_of\"><\/span>What is a turtle shell made of?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Can Turtles Live Without Their Shell? In short, <b>no, turtles cannot live without their shells! Unlike other species of shelled animals, most notoriously the hermit crab, turtles are attached to their shells. Their shells are a part of their body in the same way that fingernails are a part of a human&#8217;s body.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_under_the_shell_of_a_turtle\"><\/span>What is under the shell of a turtle?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The shell is made up of <b>large, hard scales called SCUTES. Most turtles have 13 scutes on the top shell. The top shell can come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. The bottom shell also varies in size and color.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_turtle_shells_made_of_cartilage\"><\/span>Are turtle shells made of cartilage?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>A turtle&#8217;s shell is made of bone and cartilage. It consists of a top, which is called a carapace, and a bottom, which is called a plastron. The carapace and the plastron usually join along the sides of the body, creating a rigid skeletal box.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_turtles_live_without_their_shell\"><\/span>Can turtles live without their shell?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Can Turtles Live Without Their Shell? In short, <b>no, turtles cannot live without their shells! Unlike other species of shelled animals, most notoriously the hermit crab, turtles are attached to their shells. Their shells are a part of their body in the same way that fingernails are a part of a human&#8217;s body.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_turtle_shells_toxic\"><\/span>Are turtle shells toxic?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While to you it may seem harmless, <b>painting the shells of turtles and tortoises can severely compromise their health  the paint can hinder their ability to absorb vitamins they need from the sun, cause respiratory problems, allow toxic chemicals into the bloodstre am and more.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_tortoise_shells_plastic\"><\/span>Are tortoise shells plastic?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Although <b>tortoise shell is a natural plastic, the term plastic alone in this article refers to semisyn- thetic or synthetic imitations.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents Are turtle shells made out of calcium carbonate?Are turtle shells made of plastic?How do turtles make shell?What material is a turtle shell made out of?Do turtles have calcium shells?What is inside a turtle shell?What are turtle shells made out of?How can you tell a tortoise shell from plastic?Are tortoise shells bulletproof?Can a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-103320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103320"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103320\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}