The leatherback is the only sea turtle that lacks a hard shell. Its carapace is large, elongated and flexible with 7 distinct ridges running the length of the animal. Composed of a layer of thin, tough, rubbery skin, strengthened by thousands of tiny bone plates, the carapace does not have scales, except in hatchlings.
Leatherback Nesting in Florida. Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission. (n.d.). https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/leatherback/#:~:text=A%20female%20typically%20nests%20at,et%20al.%2C%202006).
conserveturtles.org. (n.d.). https://www.conserveturtles.org/information-about-sea-turtles-leatherback-sea-turtle/.