TikTok-famous Howie the crab has shed his skin

The wait is over! Howie the crab has shed his skin again!

TikTok’s favorite rainbow crab has been going through a difficult molt for some time now, and on Wednesday evening, fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief when it finally shed its skin! And many fans had the opportunity to follow it on a live stream.

Fans are relieved that Howie the crab has successfully shed his skin!

Laura Porter, Howie’s mom, has been posting regular updates on Howie’s “molt watch” for weeks, and her fans are so grateful that she was able to successfully molt. Porter live-streamed Howie’s molt, and thousands upon thousands of fans tuned in to witness this amazing moment.

After the molt, Porter shared several videos on Instagram and TikTok with the good news. Many fans wrote comments to share their thoughts and feelings about this amazing moment.

““This was my first live experience with Howie during molt and I was STRESSED. Sending you and Howie lots of love!” wrote one fan in the comments on a TikTok video.

Another follower shared: “That was incredible and heartbreaking to see live. I can’t imagine what you were feeling in that moment!! Yay Howie.”

The mood on Instagram and Facebook is similar to TikTok

While so many fans followed Howie’s moulting live on TikTok, Porter and Howie also received a ton of positive and enthusiastic comments on Instagram.

“I can’t remember the last time I was as excited about something as I was about Howie’s Mauser. It was so wonderful to see 40,000 people watching and cheering her on,” one person wrote.

Another added: “The fear in your voice made me cry – How stressful for your whole family, I’m so glad Howie made it through another molt.”

Another fan shared, “That was the most intense 2 1/2 hours of praying!!!!! So thankful! And you are an amazing mom! Thank you for sharing Howie with us!!”

Why was this molting so scary for Howie the crab?

Because of Howie’s advanced age, each molt brings additional challenges. Howie’s last two molts have been quite difficult, making this one a little scarier for anyone who loves the cute little rainbow crab.

In February, Porter shared that Howie was in the early stages of her next molt. She also shared a video explaining what to expect in the coming months as Howie prepares for the big day.

“When Howie was a baby, she shed about every eight weeks. As she grew, the time between sheds got longer and longer. But the exact timing between sheds is not consistent, except that at her current age and size, it’s usually between six and eight months,” Porter explained. “The last time she shed, it was eight months between sheds. I was really hoping for nine to 10 months, but it’s now been six months since her last shed.”

Porter also prepared fans for a long journey, from Howie’s start in the process to the actual molting. She has also educated tens of thousands of people about the process and why each molting gets a little scarier.

“Most crabs die during molting or because they don’t molt. Howie is old, like really, really old for her species. The average lifespan in the wild is only two to three years, and in captivity it’s about three to five years,” she explained. “And with excellent care, they can live up to eight years. There are only a handful that have lived longer.”

Laura Porter recently won a Cheer Choice Award for her positive content

Porter advocates for not only crabs, but all animals in much of her social media content. Because of her positive attitude and love for all animals, she was nominated for a Cheer Choice Award and won!

“I was nominated by fans in several categories for the Cheer Choice Awards. I made it to the top finals in the animal advocate category and the earth guardian category,” Porter told The Blast before the awards ceremony in February. “The fact that you voted for me shows that I have a positive influence on social media.”

The Cheer Choice Awards honor social media content creators who use their platforms for positive engagement, and Porter is proud to do just that.

“I work very hard to advocate for crustaceans. I use my social media to give crabs, not just Howie, a voice,” she continued. “Through education and entertainment, I am changing the hearts and minds of people around the world and teaching people that crabs are sentient and have feelings. With my social media, I hope to get people to stop boiling them alive.”

Howie the Crab is named after Howie Mandel!

Have you ever wondered where Howie’s name comes from? Porter explained it in a video a while back.

“My daughter named it Howie when she was in kindergarten because she watched the show ‘Bobby’s World,'” she explained. “It was the coolest show at the time, and because I sound like Bobby’s mom, like Howie, she just called it Howie, and we kept the name even though we know she’s a girl.”

In early 2023, Howie Mandel heard about Howie and immediately became a fan. He even sang a duet to one of Howie the Crab’s videos, saying, “Look how smart Howie is!”

Later in the duet, Mandel said, “What an honor to have a crab named after you.”