As the weather continues to warm and spring blossoms appear, new furry faces can be seen at Franklin Park Zoo! As guests visit the zoo during April school vacation week, they can discover the newest arrivals – 12 prairie dog pups.

It’s a sure sign that spring has arrived when prairie dog pups begin emerging from their underground burrows. Visitors to Franklin Park Zoo will notice 12 tiny new faces as the prairie dog pups recently began to explore the world above ground.

Pups are born blind and hairless, and do not make an appearance outside of the burrow until they are about six weeks old. The pups, whose estimated births were late March, can now be seen exploring the prairie dog habitat alongside the adults. Both male and female prairie dogs help raise the young. Because the pups are born underground, the care team will not know how many pups were born this season until they all leave the burrows, which should happen by the end of May.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are not actually dogs at all. They are small, stout, tan rodents with a lightly white or buff-white belly. They have short black tails, small ears, dark eyes and long claws used for digging.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are found in short-grass prairie habitats of western North America, from southern Saskatchewan down to northern Mexico. They form complex, widespread underground burrow systems, and avoid areas of heavy brush or tall grass due to reduced visibility. Prairie dogs live in what are called towns or colonies. These colonies are further divided into territorial neighborhoods called wards. Within the wards are coteries, which are family groups comprised of a male, one to four females and offspring under two years old.