Category:Testudinata

Tes*tu`di*na"ta, n. pl. Etym: [nl. See testudo.] (zoöl.)

Defn: an order of reptiles which includes the turtles and tortoises. The body is covered by a shell consisting of an upper or dorsal Shell, called the carapace, and a lower or ventral shell, called the Plastron, each of which consists of several plates.