Skip to main content

Degu

Octodon degus
For the last decade or so I've kept Degus, but that came to an end this weekend when my last girl passed away. For some reason I hadn't written about these neat little rodents before, so now seems like the fitting time to do it.

When people heard about my ownership of these animals, their first response was always "What the heck is a Degu?" And I don't really blame them. Before I stumbled upon the breeder of my first girl, I really didn't have a clue either. (Note, Don't impulse buy! I went home and read all about them before I made any decisions!)

Degus love to sleep in piles
Degus are small rodents that are native to central Chile, and they share a family with several species of Viscacha Rat. They are also relatives to Chinchillas and Guinea Pigs. The picture there doesn't do a whole lot of good, but they can grow up to a foot long, including the tail.

All Degus are incredibly social animals. In the wild they can live in huge community burrows, and in captivity they are best kept in multiples. They are diurnal and are exclusively herbivorous, browsing on seeds and leaves.

One of the most bizarre things about Degus is their diet. Due to evolving in an area without much access to sugar, Degus can not ingest dietary sugars without running a a huge risk of developing Diabetes. Captive Degus must be fed foods that are free of sugary treats, which was actually pretty difficult to do when I first started out with the species. Honey, Molasses, and Glucose Syrup are all commonly found in small animal pellets, though thankfully now there are a number of food manufacturers that create food specifically for a Degu's needs.

Due to their strange diet, and also to their intelligence, Degus have been used as lab animals in studies that deal with Diabetes, hand-eye coordination, and Circadian Rhythms. Their popularity as lab animals eventually led to their introduction into the pet industry, though they are still pretty rare and hard to find.

Degus are very intelligent, posses some great problem solving skills, and have unique personalities. Mine could recognize different people and voices, and had different attitudes towards certain snacks, being held, and their reactions to larger animals. (One actually took an interest in the cats and dogs she lived with, and would not be afraid to bark at them if they got too close to her cage)

They also have a lifespan that surpasses that of most small animals. 6-8 years is not uncommon, and some can live far longer that that! Degus do require that special diet that we talked about, and are suceptible to a handful of different diseases. They love to climb and stay active... and they also love to chew, so all cages should be large and have metal bottoms to them so that they don't escape. And, like Chinchillas, they need regular dust baths to keep their coats nice and clean.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Chile
Size : Length up to 12in (30cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Rodentia
Family : Octodontidae -- Genus : Octodon -- Species : O. degus

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent