Check out this CRAZY time lapse of a Giant Japanese Spider Crab molting!

Every few years, the Giant Japanese Spider Crab has to undergo a bit of a glow-up/grow-up when its body gets too big for its shell. This process, called molting, can take hours to complete, after which the crab emerges, larger but soft-skinned and vulnerable until its new shell can harden.

This time lapse video, captured in an off-exhibit facility, captures the end stages of this process as the crab sloughs off its old shell and scurries away looking shiny and new (not to mention soft).

[mskittysraiinbowpass]

This video was pretty cool. Thanks for sharing 🥰

[shadeofgreene]

When a crab molts its shell, is it squishy? It looked squishy.