Turtles have nerve cells endings on their shell and can feel you petting them

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Do Turtle-Shells Have Nerve Endings?

Yes, turtle shells have nerve endings. However, being not as sensitive as other nerve endings, the ones in their shells only transmit the vibrations to the much more sensitive cells. These sensitive nerves are located on the inside part of a shell.

That being said, not all turtles have the same nerve structure. There are turtles with much more sensitive shells. Leatherbacks, for example, have a layer of skin on their shells. This permits them to glide more smoothly in the water. However, it adds sensibility to their shells.

A crack on a turtle shell feels very painful. Turtles can literally die from a painful shock if the crack in their shell is big enough. It almost feels like a human bone that breaks.

Also, the quantity of nerve endings is derived from the thickness of the shell. The thicker it is, the harder for the turtle to feel any kind of touch or pet on the shell. However, thick shells are encountered on the biggest turtles that cannot be contained as a pet. Therefore, our little pet turtles don’t have this kind of problem.

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