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Chelonian: Designates a member of the reptilian order Chelonia, made up of turtles and tortoises.
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Tortoise: Designates terrestrial turtles.
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Terrapin: Designates aquatic turtles.
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Beak: the horny the upper and lower jaws
of a turtle.
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Cloaca: Cavity which serves as intestinal, urinary, and genital tract in Reptiles, amphibians, birds, and
fish.
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Carapace: The upper portion of a turtle's shell.
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Scute: Horny, scale like structures on the turtle's
shell. The scutes are made of keratin, like fingernails, and are
sensitive to the touch.
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Gular scutes: A frontal projection on the turtle's plastron.
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Anal scutes: A pair of scutes located
at the rear end of the plastron, protecting the cloaca.
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Annuli: Rings
that form on the scutes, which can be counted to determine a
turtle's age.
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Plastron: The underside of a turtle's shell.
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Bridge: The section of the turtle's shell where the carapace and plastron are connected.
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Seam: lines in between the scutes
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Keel: Ridge on the turtle's carapace
which goes from the front to the rear.
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Ovipositor: A soft tube that extends from the
cloaca to facilitate egg-laying.
