Scleral ossicles are bony plates in the eye sockets of many vertebrates, whose morphology, development and position differ in distinct groups of vertebrates. To investigate the development, number, shape and arrangement of the scleral ossicles of Podocnemis expansa, 15 embryos were collected, starting from the 18th day of natural incubation and 16 adult specimens belonging to the LAPAS collection, whose eye sockets were removed. The embryos and eye sockets were subjected to bone diaphanization and staining techniques. The scleral ossicles in this species of Testudines were found to be quadrangular, varying in number from 10 to 13, with 11.25 ± 0.93 in the right eye and 11.43 ± 0.81 in the left eye, occupying a position close to the anterior edge of the sclera. The ossicles develop intramembranously and begin to present ossification centers at stage 21, with ten ossification centers in the right eye and eight in the left eye. In stage 23, all the ossicles of the sclerotic ring increase in length and approach the adjacent ossicles, forming a ring. In stage 26, the scleral ossicles are already arranged in their definitive form.