❤️🦔 Lookin’ sharp, kid! Prehensile-tailed porcupines Beatrix and Quillbur recently welcomed their second offspring. Small Mammal House keepers reported for duty Jan. 4 and discovered Beatrix had given birth overnight. They are encouraged that the 2-week-old porcupette bonded with mom and is nursing well and gaining weight. Our team is looking forward to learning if the newborn will take after Beatrix, who is relaxed and easy-going, or be more active and curious like Quillbur! . . . ♂️♀️ Boy or girl? Newborn porcupettes, whether they are male or female, look anatomically similar until they reach 6 months of age. Keepers sent quill samples to scientists at the Zoo’s Center for Conservation Genomics for DNA analysis. In a few weeks, we’ll know our porcupette’s sex!
