A member of the reptilian order Testudines, which includes all turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. They are characterized by having a protective shell composed of a dorsal carapace and ventral plastron.
From Latin 'testudo' meaning tortoise or protective covering, related to 'testa' meaning shell or pot. The Romans used 'testudo' to describe both the animal and a military formation where soldiers locked shields overhead like a turtle shell.
Testudines are the only vertebrates that have their shoulder and hip bones inside their ribcage rather than outside it! Their shells are actually modified ribcages and vertebrae fused with dermal bone plates, making them living suits of armor.
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