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So what exactly is a degu?

Degu’s belong to the order Rodentia and belong to the sub order Caviomorpha, which means they are
in the same family as guinea pigs, chinchillas and porcupines.

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammilla
Order - Rodentia
Infra Order - Hystricognatha
Suborder - Caviomorpha
Family - Octidontidae
Superfamily - Octodontoidea
Genius - Octodon
Species - Degus

Their Latin name is Octodon degus, which
basically translates as eight-toothed grazer. So far four different species of degu have been found:

The common degu (Octodon degus)
The moon toothed degu (Octodon lunatus)
Bridges degu (Octodon bridgesi)
Mocha island degu (Octodon pacificus)

The Mocha Island degu is the most recent discovery and is only native to Mocha Island.
The common degu is the one most commonly found as pets throughout Europe and the USA
and the species referred to as a degu.

What do they look like?

How do you describe a degu and do one justice? Hhhhmmmm well here goes. Degu’s are one of the smallest Caviomorphs in
South America but don’t let that make you think they are tiny as they aren’t. They are medium sized, kinder robust looking and
are covered in a tweedy brown soft fur that is quite short. They have lighter fur on their bellies, which is believed to be highly UV
reflective and can reflect up to 20% UV light. It is thought that they use this as a form of communication and a signal during alarm calls.
They have large dark eyes that are surrounded by a ring of lighter fur and are positioned for a good range of vision. They have a pair of
well developed darkly coloured furless ears with the exception being the course hairs that protect the ear canal. The ears are shaped
to capture sound and release body heat. They have a good set of whiskers above the eyes and just beyond the nose, which vary in length.
They are very sensitive and degu’s use them to determine both the width and height of a space (for example a burrow). They have five
digets on both the forepaws and hind feet and each is complimented with a nail, the front digets are quite well developed. They have a medium
length tail that is curved and covered in short dark bristles. At the very end is a brush of dark fur. If you are still confused this is one of my
boys showing you exactly what a degu should look like.

Where do they come from?

They hail from the Andes Mountain range in central Chile and are typically found on the West Slope. They come from the lower
regions, as they aren’t adapted for higher altitudes. The area in which they come from is semi arid and very much desert like,
with open scrubland and little to no water in the summer months. They are highly social animals and live in small communal groups.
Degu’s are foragers and around 5-6 hours a day would be taken up with foraging normally around dawn and dusk in the summer
months and in the day in winter when the temperature is warmer. Their diet changes seasonally as to what is available. The main
consistency of their diet would be grasses and shrubs. Although they aren’t typically hoarders (like the hamster) they do take and store
food in their burrows for the leaner months when there is little food available. They are up and about all year and don’t hibernate.
They are semifossorial which basically means they are diggers and in the wild they live in elaborate burrows. They tend to dig more in
winter when the ground is much softer as they prefer to dig in soft soil and it uses less energy. They communally dust bathe
together and this helps to keep the coat clean, oil free and free of parasites. Degu’s are always alert and keep an eye out at all times.
They normally stand up on their hind legs to do so and if they see something adrift they will send out the alarm call (a series of squeaks)
and run for the cover of the burrow. They are preyed upon by buzzards, owls, foxes and even humans have hunted them in the past!

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