Big tortoise butt scratches!! Many people are surprised to learn that tortoises can actually feel through their shells. Though it may look like a hard, lifeless shield, a tortoise’s shell is made of bone and covered in scutes—plates made of keratin, like human fingernails. The shell is connected to the tortoise’s spine and ribcage, and it’s rich with nerve endings, allowing the animal to sense touch, pressure, and even pain. When you gently rub or scratch a tortoise’s shell, it often responds by