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Molt
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A molting penguin A newly emerged cicada hangs upside down from its brown exoskeleton on a branch, with its soft, pale green body still unfolding during the final molting stage. teneral cicada in final molting stage
Witness a grasshopper molting as it sheds its outgrown exoskeleton
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Also spelled:
Moult
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A molting penguin
A molting penguin A yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) with bare skin showing on its head where feathers have been shed during molt.

Molt

biology
Also known as: molting, moult, moulting, shedding
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Molt, biological process of molting (moulting)—i.e., the shedding or casting off of an outer layer or covering and the formation of its replacement. Molting, which is regulated by hormones, occurs throughout the animal kingdom. It includes the shedding and replacement of horns, hair, skin, and feathers.

The process of shedding an external skeleton for the purpose of growth or change in shape (see metamorphosis) is called ecdysis; it occurs in such invertebrates as arthropods, nematodes, and tardigrades.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.