Baby gophers smack their lips adorably as they munch on apple slices

These baby groundhogs, also referred to by many as gophers, are just beginning to emerge from the burrow where they have been living. Their mother has given birth to four of them and they are as cute as can be. They have spent the winter and part of the spring underground, living off mother's milk. She spent the entire summer eating to build up fat stores so that she could produce enough milk to keep them all going until the warmer weather arrived.

These gophers have just started to come out into the sunshine and they are now exploring and nibbling grass, just like their mother. They will rely on her milk for a little while longer as they grow and develop. Here, they have discovered apple slices for the first time. They have been left at the entrance to their burrow and the smell has brought the little furballs up to see what is waiting for them. They sniff and chew, picking up the slices with their adorable little paws. One of the babies notices the camera and he becomes curious. He sniffs at it and then paws at it to see if it is also a treat that he can eat. He decides to go back to the apples and resume munching away.

Another baby emerges behind the first two and they go on eating, all the while making the cutest lip smacking sounds. These gophers will spend the summer months grazing constantly. They must eat all day long, just like their mother does, to store up enough fat for the long winter months underground.

Baby animals are all cute, but few are as cute as these furry little faces.