horny scute

A scute is an external bony or horny plate or large scale. These structures, also referred to as corneoscutes, are derived from the upper, or epidermal, skin layer and are found in reptiles and on the legs of birds.12

In various animals, scutes serve important functions:
* Protection: They shield animals from the environment and predators.2
* Structure: In reptiles, scutes can form part of shells, like those of turtles. The "horns" of a horned lizard are specialized epidermal scales.3
* Modification: Bird feathers are considered modified epidermal scales, and the bills of birds are also constructed from modified epidermal scales. Mammalian hair, while largely keratin, is not a modified scale, though some mammals like pangolins have overlapping horny plates that are modified epidermal scales.3

The term "scutum" is a synonym for scute, referring to a bony, horny, or chitinous plate.4