Everything about turtle and tortoise, morphology, characteristics , difference between turtle and tortoise, description of carapace and plastron

1. CARAPACE AND PLASTRON

13. Carapace:
It includes a median series of 8 small neural plates. On their right and left
lateral sides 8 costal plates are present. On the margins of small marginal
plates are present. The neural plates are fused with the neural spines of 2nd
to 9th trunk vertebrae. The costal plates are fused with ribs of the 2nd to
9th trunk vertebrae. At the anterior end a nuchal plate present and at the
hind end a pygal plate is present.
Plastron:
It includes median entoplastron which corresponds to the interclavicle and a
four paired plates known as 1) epiplastra which lie in front of the
entoplastron 2) hypoplastron 3) hyoplastra and 4) xiphiplastron below the
endoplastron serially.
This shell covers and protects the body of a chelonian. When the animal is
disturbed the entire animal withdraws into the shell.

14. Carapace
A hard protective covering of bone or chitin, especially one which covers the
dorsal portion of an animal.
Plastron
The nearly flat part of the shell structure of a tortoise or other animal, similar in
composition to the carapace.
The main difference between Carapace and Plastron is that the Carapace is a
part of exoskeleton in some animals and Plastron is a shield for the ventral and
dorsal parts of turtles, tortoises and terrapins.
The carapace and plastron are bony structures that usually join one another
along each side of the body, creating a rigid skeletal box. This box, composed of
bone and cartilage, is retained throughout the turtle's life.
carapace is a hard protective covering of bone or chitin, especially one which
covers the dorsal portion of an animal while plastron is the nearly flat part of
the shell structure of a tortoise or other animal, similar in composition to the
carapace.