Some tortoises have paired gular scutes, while others have a single undivided gular scute. New scutes grow by the addition of keratin layers to the base of each scute. The carapace is light yellow, often with two dark triangles on each abdominal scute. It has a brown-colored carapace, with black markings at the edges of each scute. The nuchal scute is located at the base of the head. Dark rings are usually present on the lower surface of each outer scute. New growth adds dark rings around the pale center of each scute. The extra scute is called the intergular. A narrow black margin borders the edge of each scute. Sometimes, faint yellow dots or lines are visible in the center of each large scute.