molt

As they do yearly, Marine biologists and wildlife officials urge fans to respect Neil’s privacy and let him molt: The more peace he gets, the more we can look forward to his next visit.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

And crabs need that deep substrate to safely molt, or they risk being eaten by a hungry tankmate.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025

Most owls undergo a complete molt once a year, shedding their feathers and growing new ones.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2025

After years underground, periodical cicadas — insects of the genus Magicicada — are emerging by the trillions across more than a dozen states to molt, sing, court and mate.

From New York Times ● May 8, 2024

He had a sour, thin-lipped look even in sleep, and another resembled a reptile in molt, the skin of his face sloughing away in curls of dead skin.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

The final step in the metamorphosis, if all goes well: The case splits open, and the winged creature molts, ready to take its first flight in pursuit of prey, leaving the exuviae behind.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2022

A few days, a few molts, and a few milkweed leaves later, the caterpillar was about a half-inch long and fattening up, following a timetable nearly as reliable as a Swiss watch.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 20, 2019

Eggs hatch after four days, and the larvae grow over the course of seven to nine molts and five to six weeks, he said.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 2, 2014

Embryonic development is external and proceeds through larval stages separated by molts.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

As it gets bigger it molts several times, splitting the old skin with its head and wriggling out, revealing stretchy skin underneath.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

Pinky’s fame grew even as the bird bent, molted and faded with each turn of the calendar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

“The lobster has molted into its final form,” Steinberger wrote in a blog post about the name change—a nod at his platform’s lobster-centric branding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

Marshall says color patterns could indicate how early or late in the year a caterpillar last molted, which could potentially reflect trends in weather and temperature.

From National Geographic ● Nov. 29, 2023

The only drawback is that smoked shrimp can be harder to peel — particularly thinner-shelled shrimp that have recently molted.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2023

She thought it was like the desert threave, a sand beast that could survive for years eating nothing but its own molted skin.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Elephant seals live in open water, but it’s common for them to return to where they were born for molting season, when they shed their topmost layer of skin and fur.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

But their hidden lifestyle also depends on a vulnerable biological process: molting.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

Filming took place between October and January, to avoid molting season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025

Versatile and resilient, the lobster survives by molting, shedding its skin and growing into a new, bigger shell.

From New York Times ● May 20, 2024

The molting pink feathers are tawdry as carnival dolls and some of the starry sequins have come off.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood