Scute
Definition
An individual plate of keratinous shell that overlaps with its neighbors on the outer carapace of a sea turtle. Count, arrangement, and morphology of scutes are primary morphological characters for species identification.
Related terms
- Hawksbill (Eretmochelys Imbricata)
- The sea turtle species that produces tortoiseshell. Distinguishable by its narrow pointed beak, overlapping (imbricate) scutes, and four pairs of lateral scutes....
- Imbricate Vs. Juxtaposed Scutes
- Hawksbill scutes overlap like roof tiles (imbricate); green and most other sea turtle scutes meet edge-to-edge without overlapping (juxtaposed). This difference is...
- Mitochondrial Haplotype
- A specific variant of mitochondrial DNA sequence. Because mitochondria are inherited maternally, haplotypes track female lineages and cluster by nesting rookery in...
- Natal Homing
- The behavior by which female sea turtles return to the beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs. This produces strong...
- PIT Tag
- Passive integrated transponder: a small RFID chip implanted under the skin of tagged sea turtles. Can be scanned from a carcass even...
Explained in
- Sea Turtle ForensicsAn individual plate of keratinous shell that overlaps with its neighbors on the outer carapace of a sea turtle. Count, arrangement, and morphology of scutes ar...