The turtle shell has different designs from one species to another.
Body protection
The protection that protects the body of various animals, such as chelonians and crustaceans , is called the shell. In certain regions of the American continent, the term is used in the feminine form ( the carapace ), although its use is more common in the masculine form ( the shell ).
Take the case of turtles . These animals have their backs protected by a shell that is formed by a plate called osteoderm , in turn covered by scales that contribute to giving it greater hardness.
The armadillo is another animal that has a shell. Also known as tatú or mulita , this mammal has a shell made up of juxtaposed plates.
turtle shell
The turtle's shell perfectly fulfills its function of protecting the soft tissues of the animal , but it is also fascinating to the eyes of people. This is partly due to the fact that our species does not have a comparable structure, but also due to the different designs that land and water turtles exhibit on these plates, which change over the years.
While the bony part of the turtle's shell is of dermal origin, that of the scales is epidermal , meaning that the former originates under the latter. Furthermore, the configuration of both is different. The upper part of the shell is known as the backbone , while the central part is known as the plastron . Inside the first, the ribs and the spinal column are joined, which is why turtles do not have great mobility.
Returning to the visual appearance of the shell, its texture can be rough, grainy or smooth, or have these three characteristics combined. There are species of turtles that exhibit very distinctive designs, and even some whose shells have greater flexibility .
Its formation is based on a peculiarity in the way the rib cage, pelvis and scapula develop. In fact, it has fifty dermal bones that are not found in other vertebrates , which makes the organization of its bones unique. In summary, we can say that the turtle's shell has an internal part of dermal bones and an external part that protects it and strengthens year after year.
The armadillo is another animal that has a shell.
Cover or cover
The idea of shell, on the other hand, refers to the covering that is used to cover the saddle or packsaddle . This shell can be made of fabric or leather .
In a broader sense, any type of covering or cover that is placed over something to protect it is called a shell. The concept can even be used symbolically. For example: “The successes of past eras were the shell that allowed the Deportivo San Juan coach to resist the bad streak of recent months,” “When an immigrant is depressed, he tends to take refuge in the shell of his culture.” land” , “We must strengthen the institutional shell so that the rights of workers are not violated” .
When speaking of a shell in a figurative sense, it refers to a situation that, whether spontaneous or planned, offered someone some protection against danger or risk . We can see this in the first example, where the sports coach did not suffer such a negative repercussion due to recent failures because his team had achieved enough victories in the recent past to raise his image and deserve the respect of critics.