Book 32, Question 19
Can you tell a turtle’s age by counting the rings on its shell?
Each plate on a turtle’s shell, called a scute, can grow rings as the turtle grows.
It looks like tree rings, but it isn’t a reliable way to count years. Rings can be worn smooth, and a turtle can grow more than one ring in a year when food is plentiful. Scientists get a better age estimate from other clues, such as growth lines in the bones.