BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 9, 2025
All snakes, most lizards and some politicians shed their skins. Actually, all humans shed their skin, including the political subspecies. In fact, we shed about 30,000-40,000 skin cells per minute, totaling over eight pounds per year. Our skin completely renews itself every 28 days. Replacing our outer covering is straightforward and routine for humans. However, this isn’t the case for birds. Replacing feathers is complicated, varying widely by species and sex. Some bird species molt in summer before migrating, so they’ll have brand-new feathers for the long journey. Others molt after migration, so they can spend the winter foraging with fresh plumage. ~ Bob Duchesne