Puppies in Tuco World!

Every morning, when I arrive on campus, I go up to "Tuco World", located in the Behavior Suite of Valley Life Sciences Building and check to make sure no one escaped their system and that everyone is happy and healthy. However, as we enter into the austral spring season (aka spring in Argentina), I eagerly check the pregnant females to see if anyone has dropped their litter. I knew we were expecting a litter or two this week and was SO excited to find that female 7405 had come through! Five little wriggly cuties, covered in dark hair and waving short tails. Some have eyes already open and others are in the process. They crawl all over each other when mom isn't there and when she is, there's only one thing on their mind: FOOD! This is my favorite time of year and I am lucky to get to enjoy the first days of a litter before I head to Argentina. As much as I love going, I often miss the births of the pups in the lab. And of course, we don't get to see that part of the free-living tucos since they are all underground. I've uploaded this short video of what I saw this morning and answered those of you who have wondered, what is a tuco?