Scales, scutes, and skins are different types of outer coverings found in animals. Scales are small, hard, plate-like structures made of bone or keratin that overlap and cover parts of the skin in many animals like fish and reptiles. Scutes are thick, horny scales or plates found on the shells of turtles and armadillos. Skins are the outer covering of the body in mammals, made of multiple layers of tissues including the epidermis on the outside.
