# Tortoises and Turtles. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408 "2006-09-20T13:17:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/1 "2006-09-20T13:17:06Z")
Can either of these creatures live outside of their shells? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/2 "2006-09-20T13:22:47Z")
No; the shell isn’t just something they wear; it’s part of their body, and although they do have an internal skeleton, much of it (and crucially, the spinal column) is fused to the shell [http://a-s.clayton.edu/biology/biol3650l/skeletal/turtle/turtle-ventral.jpg](http://a-s.clayton.edu/biology/biol3650l/skeletal/turtle/turtle-ventral.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/3 "2006-09-20T13:25:52Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Can either of these creatures live outside of their shells? [/QUOTE] They are NOT hermit crabs. Can any other animal live long, if at all, skinned alive? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/4 "2006-09-20T16:07:14Z")
[QUOTE=spingears] They are NOT hermit crabs. Can any other animal live long, if at all, skinned alive? [/QUOTE] Well I guess that’s put me in my place :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/5 "2006-09-20T16:18:26Z")
[QUOTE=spingears] They are NOT hermit crabs. Can any other animal live long, if at all, skinned alive? [/QUOTE] There are nicer ways to fight ignorance. You don’t have to be nasty about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/6 "2006-09-20T17:26:47Z")
They are NOT chipmunks, dammit. Can any other animal live long, if at all, squashed on the road? Well? Can they? I’m waiting! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/7 "2006-09-20T17:37:05Z")
The carapace (upper shell) is fused to the vertebrae and ribs. Both the carapace and plastron (lower shell) are attached to the limb girdles (which, uniquely, are positioned _inside_ the trunk skeleton). All of which makes removing the shell impossible without killing the animal, as noted. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/8 "2006-09-20T17:43:53Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. PoopiePants] They are NOT chipmunks, dammit. Can any other animal live long, if at all, squashed on the road? Well? Can they? I’m waiting! 🙂 [/QUOTE] A tapeworm? Hey come to think of it they make perfect pets. Go where you go, eat what you eat and no hefty veterinary bills. I gonna get me a tapeworm …yessir ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/9 "2006-09-20T17:59:21Z")
[QUOTE=Darwin’s Finch] All of which makes removing the shell impossible without killing the animal, as noted. [/QUOTE] I blame Looney Tunes for any impression to the contrary. More on turtle anatomy and physiology can be found in Cecil’s column [Is it true turtles breathe through their butts?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011116.html), which I assisted him with. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/10 "2006-09-20T19:15:15Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] I blame Looney Tunes for any impression to the contrary. [/QUOTE] Many strange ideas people have about science can probably be laid at the feet of Robert Clampett and Chuck Jones. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/11 "2006-09-20T19:33:34Z")
[QUOTE=Rube E. Tewesday] Many strange ideas people have about science can probably be laid at the feet of Robert Clampett and Chuck Jones. [/QUOTE] Now you are going to tell me that penguin tears don’t turn to ice cubes… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/12 "2006-09-20T19:35:15Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Now you are going to tell me that penguin tears don’t turn to ice cubes… [/QUOTE] Or that they don’t always wear bowties. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortoises-and-turtles/373408/13 "2006-09-20T21:48:21Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] More on turtle anatomy and physiology can be found in Cecil’s column [Is it true turtles breathe through their butts?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011116.html), which I assisted him with. [/QUOTE] Hmm… my interpretation of the quote marks in that article hint at more than mere “assistance.” 🙂