Can A Turtle Live Without Its Shell?

For turtles and tortoises, their shell is all they need for protection. In fact, they’re completely dependent on it for survival. Most land-dwelling tortoises will sport a big, bone-hard, high-arched shell that offers them protection from weather, as well as predators that want to snag a bite. A tortoise or turtle would feel excruciating pain if their shell gets broken, similar to the pain you’d feel if you shattered your knee. Holes in the shell, due to deficits of calcium and a lack of sunlight (vitamin D deficiency), can affect the normal growth of a tortoise, rendering it vulnerable to a range of diseases. Since the bone is a living tissue, any compromise to its structure can open it up to bacterial, fungal, or viral infections. This will further compromise the other living systems of the animal.