In the land of the African pancake tortoise gaps are large, they remain the whole life of a turtle, so the armor in this turtle soft, as though made of thick rubber.Top shell turtles covered most horn (like our hair to nails) plates. The shape, size and number of plates (boards) - an important feature of the species. Exception - freshwater mollusks and marine leatherback turtles, they do not have such boards. The joints between the bone and horn parts of the shell are not identical, which reinforces the already strong design. However, the strength of the shell is not unlimited: in the fall of stones or asphalt can crack it. Eagles wishing to enjoy cherepashatinoy, dropping turtles on the rocks, and then easily get to fresh meat.In terrestrial turtle carapace is high, dome-shaped, unlike the low, streamlined shell of most aquatic species. Plastron and carapace tortoises linked bone ligament. In some species the plastron to have one or two flexible transverse ligament that allows the animal to reliably cover the moving parts of the shell head and limbs, as well as helping young females lay eggs rather large.