A turtle’s shell will eventually decompose, but at a much slower rate than its flesh, innards, and organs due it being made of bone and keratin. An average turtle shell left in average conditions will take about 50 years to fully decompose, about the same amount of time it takes human bone to decompose.
Interestingly, some people with pet turtles preserve their former shell after the turtle dies to keep it as a keepsake of sorts.
INTERESTING FACTS
- A turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton.
- A turtles shell is made up of over 50 bones which include the turtle’s spine and rib cage.
- The oldest turtle ever recorded lived 188 years.
- Contrary to what some believe, a turtle cannot come out of its shell.
- Some turtles eat meat, and some don’t. Some eat plants, and some don’t. Some eat both.
INTERESTING VIDEO
INTERESTING REFERENCES
- Quora.com – What happens to the turtle’s shell after its death?
- NatGeoKids.com – 10 TOTALLY AWESOME FACTS ABOUT TURTLES!
- Mom.me – HOW TO PRESERVE TURTLE SHELLS
Interesting. I had never thought about that before but became curious after reading the title.
It is interesting. I never knew a turtle shell was pretty much bone.