A scute or scutum (Latin scutum, plural: scuta "shield")'s a chitinous, or bony external plate or scale, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodiles, or the feet of some birds. Properties Scutes are similar to scales and serve the same function. Unlike the scales of fish and snakes, which are formed from the epidermis, scutes are formed in the lower vascular layer of the skin and the epidermal element's only the top surface. Forming in the living dermis, the scutes produce a horny outer… (More on Scutes)