Question

A non-bony skeleton that forms outside of the body is known as a what?

Answer 1

exoskeleton

One way early land invertebrates solved these problems was with an exoskeleton. This is a non-bony skeleton that forms on the outside of the body. It supports the body and helps it retain water. As the organism grows, it sheds its old exoskeleton and grows a new one. Figure below shows the discarded exoskeleton of a dragonfly.