Unlike other sea turtles, the leatherback sea turtle does not have a bony carapace. In place o
Unlike other sea turtles, the leatherback sea turtle does not have a bony carapace. In place of the hard, rigid scutes found on other sea turtles, the leatherback’s shell is covered in thick, tough skin studded with miniscule osteoderms. This leathery shell, which is flexible and strengthened by tiny bone plates, is the feature that gives the leatherback its name. This shell also allows the leatherback to dive to extreme ocean depths, as the rubbery shell will compress under pressure rather than cracking. -- source link
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