The Degu (Octodon degus) is a small caviomorph rodent that is native to Chile. It is sometimes referred to as the Brush-Tailed Rat (even though it is not closely related to the rat family) and it is also called the Common Degu, to distinguish it from the other members of the genus Octodon. Degus are very friendly and intelligent pets when compared to other rodents. They are hassle free and demand less maintenance.
Some people compare Degus to chinchillas, squirrels and even gerbils. They are a tweed brown colour and have a long tail with brush like hair at the end. The tail is nearly one to two thirds of the body’s length. They use it to maintain balance while climbing. While walking they keep it in an upright position. Their belly is cream in colour and there are circles around their eyes. Their ears and whiskers are surprisingly big. They nibble on their claws, so their claws don’t require clipping or filing. The Degu’s forelimbs are longer than their hind limbs. They are born with yellow teeth that turn orange after reacting to the chlorophyll present in plants. Their saliva also turns orange because of reaction to chlorophyll.
These friendly rodents are exported as pets from Chile to other countries. There are some import restrictions on Degus in the United States, so it is uncommon to find Degus in pet shops there, but they can be found in pet stores all over Europe. Initially other countries bought them not as exotic pets, but to be used in laboratory experiments. They do not have the ability to digest sugar, so they were used in tests related to diabetes.
When young, their size is similar to that of gerbils and when they grow to their full size they are about the same size as hamsters. They reach their full size within a few months, so their cage and all their equipment should be bought with this in mind. The cage should be quite large and must have a running wheel in it. Their average body weight is 160-230 grams (approximately one-third of a pound to half a pound) when they reach adulthood.
Degus are very playful animals, so you should keep lots of toys in their cage. Since baby Degus do not fight with each other, they spend all of their time playing.
It would not be a good idea to keep their cage in a bedroom as they will keep people awake with all the noise they make. Although they are diurnal, they only sleep for short periods of time, so they will probably be awake for several hours at night. They are at peak activity in the morning and the evening. However, since they only sleep in short shifts, they are active at other times, but not so vigorously. Degus are not afraid of humans, however, since they are sociable animals, it is recommended that they be kept in groups of two or more. If they are kept alone, their life span decreases and they get really depressed, in spite of human attention. They also have a tendency to become aggressive.
Degus shed their tail in defence when predators attack them. As a result, it is recommended that you never tug on the tail. If you do, the tail will bleed and then it will dry up and slowly fall off or because it is drying up the Degu will chew it off. Note that once the tail comes off, it doesn’t grow back. This will affect the animal's balance and climbing ability.
Degus don’t like to be held tightly and they don’t like to be held for long periods of time. Never lift them from above as they will become scared. In the wild they have to contend with birds striking from above, so they have developed a natural wariness of being grabbed from that direction. Owners can get them to climb onto the palm of their hand by stretching out their palms and calling out to them calmly. It won’t happen right away, but as the Degus develop voice familiarity and learn to trust their owners, they become quite tame.
In their wild forest habitat, most Degus live less than a year. About 1 percent live up to two years. But in captivity, they can live up to five years or more. Females, who live with males, die much quicker than the males because they become weak from constant pregnancies. Their pregnancy periods last for eighty-seven to ninety-three days. Therefore, it is recommended that members of the same sex should be kept together as pets. If the owner is interested in breeding them, opposite sexes can be kept together, but you should be careful about exhausting the female with too many pregnancies. It is recommended that females should only have one pregnancy per year.
If you live in the United States and you are interested in having one or more of these animals as a pet, be sure to check with municipal, county and state authorities before attempting to import any. You don’t want to pay for one or more and then find them confiscated because your city, county or state prohibits their ownership.
Until next time,
Teia
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