TikTok Famous Howie The Crab Molted

The wait is over! Howie the Crab molted once again!

The popular TikTok famous rainbow crab has been in the process of a tough molt for a while and on Wednesday night, her fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief as she finally molted! And many fans had the opportunity to watch it happen on a live stream.

Laura Porter, Howie’s mom, has been sharing regular updates on Howie’s “Molt Watch” for weeks and fans are so grateful that she was able to successfully molt. Porter live-streamed Howie’s molt and thousands and thousands of fans tuned in to get the chance to see this amazing moment happen. 

After molting, Porter shared a few videos on both Instagram and TikTok sharing the good news. Many fans dropped into the comments to share their thoughts and feelings on this amazing moment.

“This was my first live with Howie molting and I was STRESSED. Sending much love to you and Howie!” one fan wrote in the comments of a TikTok video.

Another follower shared, “This was both incredible and gut-wrenching to watch live. Can’t imagine what you were feeling in the moment!! Yay Howie.” 

With so many fans watching Howie molt live on TikTok, there were also tons of positive and excited comments waiting for Porter and Howie over on Instagram.

“I don’t remember the last time I looked forward to anything the way I was excited for Howie’s molt. It was so wonderful to see 40,000 people watching and cheering her on,” one person wrote. 

Another added, “The anxiety in your voice made me cry. 😢 How stressful for your whole family, so glad Howie pushed through another molt.”

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

Because of Howie’s advanced age, each molt comes with some added challenges. Howie’s last two molts were pretty tough, making this one a bit more scary for everyone who loves the sweet little rainbow crab. 

In February, Porter shared the news that Howie was in the beginning stages of her next molt. She also explained in a video what to expect in the coming months as Howie gets ready for the big day. 

“When Howie was a baby, she molted about every eight weeks. As she grew, it became longer and longer between molts. But the exact timing between molts is not consistent other than typically being between six and eight months at her current age and size,” Porter explained. “Her last molt was eight months between molts. I was genuinely hoping for nine to 10 months, but right now it’s been six months since her last molt.” 

Porter also prepped fans for a long ride from when Howie starts the process through to the actual molt. She has also educated tens of thousands of people on the process and why each molt gets a bit scarier.

“The majority of crabs die during molts, or from failing to molt. Howie’s 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 beyond that.” 

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

“I was nominated by fans for the Cheer Choice Awards in a few categories. I have made it to the top five finals in the Animal Advocate category and the Earth Guardian category,” Porter told The Blast before February’s award ceremony. “Voting for me shows that I am making a positive impact on social media.” 

The Cheer Choice Awards honors social media content creators who use their platforms for positivity. Porter prides herself on doing 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 all over the world and teaching people that crabs are sentient and have feelings. With my social media, I hope to educate people to stop boiling them alive."

Ever wonder where Howie's name came from? Porter explained it in a video a while back.

"My daughter named Howie when she was in kindergarten because she was watching the show 'Bobby's World,'" she explained. "That was the coolest show at the time, and because I sound like Bobby's mom, like Howie, she just named it Howie, and we kept the name even though we know she's a girl."

In early 2023, Howie Mandel learned about Howie and became an instant fan. He even dueted one of Howie the Crab's videos and said, "Look how smart Howie is!"

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