advertisement
nationalgeographic.com Kids logo


E-card Archives
> >  > >  > >  > >  > > 
> >  Complete Archive
E-cards
ANIMAL ARMOR
If you find yourself wandering down a beach this summer, stop and look at a shell. Shells are often very beautiful. Yet they are more than just pretty trinkets. Shells work like armor to help animals stay safe, move, and even attack. Share your shell knowledge with a friend today!

New Suit
New Suit
This reef crab is a crustacean. Crustaceans outgrow their shells from time to time. They form a new shell as they grow bigger, leaving the old shell behind. This is called molting.
Send E-card
Turtle Tops
Turtle Tops
Turtle shells are covered with scales that grow tightly together. Sea turtles, like the one here, have flatter shells than land turtles so they can zoom through the water.
Send E-card
Snail Shell
Snail Shell
Unlike crustaceans, a snail's shell gets bigger as the animal grows. Their shells are made of calcium carbonate. If they don't eat enough calcium, their shells may grow thin and crack.
Send E-card
Archive Privacy Credits About Us

© 2008 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.