Based in Philadelphia, Molt's obsession with exotic climates and wildlife led him to search the world for exotic reptiles in the 1960s and sell them from his newly acquired Pennsylvania pet store. Molt is considered a crucial figure in the growth of reptile houses in American zoos, which at the time were a rare attraction. He prepared and distributed a price list of rare reptiles--including snakes, turtles, lizards--and sold them to a wide variety of eager customers and competitive zoos. Molt often carried them into the country in suitcases, easily circumventing the relatively lax customs regulations. When the Endangered Species Act came into effect in 1973, Molt's smuggling business boomed--declaring a reptile species as "endangered" also meant it was rarer and more valuable, allowing Molt to fetch a higher price.

More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. A fresh-shelled Luigi (left) next to his older and molted shell (right). Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . For Luigi the lobster, it was simply time to grow.

Watching a tarantula move can make a person's skin crawl -- especially when the arachnid is crawling out of its own skin. More accurately, tarantulas have what's known as an exoskeleton, the stiff outer structure housing the spider's internal organs similar to how human skin protects internal organs. To grow larger, tarantulas must form a new exoskeleton and shed their previous, smaller coverings in a process called molting. This time-lapse video shows a female Mexican Red Knee tarantula molting, an event that takes more than three hours but that is compressed here into a minute. To wriggle out of its old exoskeleton, the spider lies on its side and slowly pulls out its legs, like someone peeling off a tight pair of jeans.