Million Whys Press logo
Million Whys PressToronto
← Book 32 videos

Book 32, Question 10

How are reptile scales different from fish scales?

A reptile’s scales are part of its skin, made of tough keratin and joined into one sheet, which is why many snakes can shed it as a whole.

Most fish scales are thin plates that grow in deeper skin layers and overlap like roof shingles. They look similar, but they are made in different ways. Your fingernails are also made of keratin.

Why I wrote this