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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 6, 2005 Since You Asked Lobsters come out of — and eat — their shells Do female lobsters come out of their shell to mate? — Bonnie G. Yes, Bonnie, and the introverted ones have a lot of trouble doing so. This sometimes leads lobster Lotharios to ply them with little martinis. But seriously, the process by which a lobster comes out of its shell is called molting — when it gets rid of its old "skin." Advertisement Lobsters are thought to molt about 25 times in the first five to seven years of life, by which time they weigh about 1 pound. After this they molt just once a year. And yes, the females mate primarily after they have molted. Then they become these amazing arthropod power gals, carrying live sperm for up to two years and deciding themselves when to fertilize their eggs — up to 75,000 of them. Immediately after mating, there’s an interesting ritual. No, they don’t smoke little cigarettes. They eat their own cast-off shells. It’s thought this recycles lost calcium and helps the hardening of the new shell over the next two to four weeks. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to Since You Asked ">[email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s