Book 32, Question 21 · Video
Why do leatherback turtles have no hard shell?
A leatherback sea turtle is the biggest turtle in the world, but its back is covered with thick, smooth, leathery skin instead of a hard shell. Under the skin are thousands of tiny bone pieces and ridges that run down its back. The flexible, light body helps the turtle dive deep into the ocean, where the water pressure is huge.
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What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why do leatherback turtles have no hard shell?
The Big Idea
The biggest turtle in the world has no hard shell! It's called the leatherback. Why is its shell so different?
Biggest Turtle
Step one: Biggest Turtle. A leatherback sea turtle is the biggest turtle in the world. But its back is covered with thick, smooth, leathery skin instead of a hard shell.
Hidden Bones
Step two: Hidden Bones. Under the skin are thousands of tiny bone pieces. Ridges run down its back from head to tail.
Deep Diving
Step three: Deep Diving. The flexible, light body helps the turtle dive deep into the ocean. Down there, the water pressure is huge.
A Closer Look
Let's take a closer look! Biggest turtle. Leathery. Thousands. Very deep.
Quick Facts
Quick facts! Leatherbacks can dive deeper than most other turtles. The leatherback is the biggest turtle on Earth. They have thousands of tiny bones in their skin. Flexible bodies handle deep-water pressure.
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! Squeeze a soft rubber ball. Then squeeze a hard plastic ball. Which one squishes more? Why might a bendy body help in deep water? Write your idea.
Outro
The leatherback is the biggest turtle in the world, but its back is thick, leathery skin over thousands of tiny bones instead of a hard shell. Its flexible body helps it dive deep where the pressure is huge. Science is amazing! What will you discover next? Every question is a new adventure, so keep wondering and keep exploring with me! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!