Can my turtle take off its shell?

Turtles, no matter what, cannot remove their shells! Because the shell is connected to the reptile's bones, a turtle cannot shimmy in and out of it. Unlike a hermit crab, which may grow out of its shell and crawl into a new, larger shell, a turtle remains stuck with the same shell its whole life. Many people believe that turtles are strong and that they cannot feel anything through their shells. That, however, is not the case. Turtles may sense being patted, scratched, tapped, or otherwise handled on their shells because their protective shells include nerve endings that allow them to experience pain.

Because a turtle can sense pain through its shell, it must be handled with caution. If you have a pet turtle, always treat it gently so that it does not suffer. Any reptile with a shell, including tortoises that live largely on land, is considered a turtle. Semi-aquatic turtles with webbing between their toes and aquatic turtles with flippers instead of feet both have shells. Yes, all turtles have shells, albeit some have softer shells than others, such as the Spiny Softshell Turtle, which resides in bodies of water across most of America.