The soft, baby tuft will be replaced by a thicker adult brush unique to the degu. Under no circumstances is it permissible to sell or distribute on a commercial basis, or to claim authorship of, copies of material reproduced from this. Degu breeding guide help and advice for looking after your. Once tamed your degu will be excellent pets, climbing into you hand and, for those showing the greatest trust, sleeping in your care. Well come to this next, but be aware that it is far easier and quicker to introduce pups to an adult degu than introducing more adults. The must have guide for anyone passionate about owning a degu, includes health, diet, housing and lots. Its body is covered with thick, coarse fur of a muddy brown color. If there are no degu pellets available, you will need to combine chinchilla and guinea pig pellets at a 1. The weaning age is around five to six weeks and the breeding life of a degu is six years. Male degus, octodon degus, modify their dustbathing behavior in response to social familiarity of previous dustbathing marks.
In the wild, they inhabit the mountainous regions of chile, peru, bolivia and argentina. Caring for your pet degus some people may say that a degu looks like a large gerbil. However, sugary foods can lead to diabetes, so you should always be mindful of your degu s diet and access to treats. Since their importation into the us in 1964, degus have become a popular subject of research in the areas of. The name degu on its own indicates either the entire genus octodon or, more commonly, just the common degu. They live in social groups and work together to construct burrows. Degu care the degu is native to central and northern chile, where.
Overweight degus have a higher risk of developing liver issues. Common degus belong to the parvorder caviomorpha of the infraorder hystricognathi. Though most frequently associated with the study of circadian rhythms due to their diurnal activities in the wild, degus have also been established as valuable animal models. It is best, if possible, to keep at least two pets. To be healthy and happy, degus should be kept as pets in pairs or groups. They are friendly, curious creatures and can make excellent pets. Pdf husbandry and breeding in the octodon degu molina 1782. Degu breeding guide help and advice for looking after. Being almost diabetic in nature, their bodies cannot process it properly. The sub sections are organized in alphabetical order.
The degu, octodon degus, is native to northern and western chile and belongs to the same order as the chinchilla and guinea pig. Degu taming guide help and advice for looking after your. Other members are also called degus, but they are distinguished by additional names. Degus as pets, a complete degu care guide by moore, susan april 11, 2014 paperback paperback january 1, 1705 4.
Oxbow offers healthy treats and supplements for chinchillas, including. It might also beat its tail on the ground in its excitement. Your degu is a herbivore, which means he only eats plant food. Be gentle when handling them and do not squeeze their rib cage.
Degus tend to be fairly sturdy, healthy animals, and do not suffer particularly with illness. Apr 06, 2020 degu, genus octodon, one of four species of ratlike south american rodents found primarily on the lower western slopes of the andes mountains. Discourage climbing on the ceiling of cage as fractures commonly result from falls. You can select modules suited to your application from over 200 types of sensors and actuators, and by connecting a base unit with communication functions, you can experiment with making a mesh networking compatible terminal degu sensor with a diy. In short, a degu is a small mammal native to chile.
Though most frequently associated with the study of circadian rhythm due to their diurnal activities in the wild, degus have also been established as valuable animal. Before adopting a degu you should think about the future, if for any reason you cannot honour a commitment this long you should reconsider adopting them. They make wonderful, small pets to own, and their long lifespans of around eight to 15 years, and sociable nature, make them ideal pets for the older child and adult. Since their importation into the us in 1964, degus have become a popular subject of research in the areas of diabetes, cataracts, and circadian behavior.
You can select modules suited to your application from over 200 types of sensors and actuators, and by connecting a base unit with communication functions, you can experiment with making a mesh networking compatible terminal degu. While this can be frustrating, remember that even for us, there is a lot of. We also sell chinchilla supplies, such as food, dust, custom shelves, hammocks, and more, for maximum chinchilla enjoyment. A first glance they appear similar to a rat or mouse, but unlike murine. This can be prevented, however, by offering them degu specific food and not giving foods high in sugar. Two or more degu of the same sex are a good idea but if male degu are kept together they should be kept away from females, as they will fight when the female comes into season.
To keep a degu, make sure they have the right environment. It has yellowbrown fur above and creamyyellow below, with yellow around the eyes and a paler band around the neck. Pdf the octodon degu is a native rodent species from south america, which lives in colonies with a. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. If your degu puts on weight, cut out all treats and, if you have been.
Pdf male degus, octodon degus, modify their dustbathing. Degutopias compact guide to degu care is a glossy, fullcolour book, which will help teach you all the basics you need to know when caring for pet degus, and is a handy reference and companion to the degutopia website. The average litter size of a degu is five but it can be any number from one to eight. Caring for a degu the degu is a delightful and entertaining little rodent which originates from chile in south america.
To this day, many haevnt heard of them or know little about them. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The octodon degu is a native rodent species from south america, which lives in colonies with a wellstructured social organization grouping of 510 young and 25 adult animals sharing a burrow system. On this page you can read or download getu degu research methodology pdf in pdf format. Degus have an excellent memory, and so for you to maintain your relationship with your pet, you need to show the greatest care from beginning to end with constant contact in order to bond successfully. Taking care of your degu the degu octodon degus is native to the western foothills of the andes.
Degu graze on grasses, foliage and seeds, and store food in their burrows during the winter. Buy degus as pets, a complete degu care guide by moore, susan isbn. All copies must retain all author credits and notices included in the original document. Octodon degus, a mammal of the family octodontidae of the order rodentia. The common degu is a small animal with a body length of 25. To prevent obesity, care must be taken not to overfeed pet degus.
The degu is a very sociable animal, and they can get quite lonely and depressed on their own. A degu colony works together to protect itself from predators. Degu husbandry and care laboratory animal resources. Plus how and where to select your degu with facts, information and relevant web resources. Degus as pets, a complete degu care guide by moore, susan. Clean and disinfect the habitat and its contents at least once a week with a 3% bleach.
In the wild they live in elaborate burrows amongst the rocks and brush of the west andean slopes. In captivity, males have been observed taking care of the young. However, in the octodon degus, or degu, a new world rodent related to the guinea pig, islet amyloid deposits consist mainly of degu insulin. While this can be frustrating, remember that even for us, there is a lot of disagreement as to what we should and shouldnt eat and what quantities are acceptable or not. Nov 24, 2015 on this page you can read or download getu degu research methodology pdf in pdf format. Degu is an open source project launched so that even engineers with no development experience in edge devices can easily create iot sensors. Dec 06, 2015 on this page you can read or download lecture notes for occupational health students gondar university in pdf format. This is one of the aspects of degu care where there is a lot of disagreement on what is right and wrong for them. Degus may be on sale in some petshops, where you should be able to see the animals and discuss the care they need. The purpose of this section is to help people in raising and caring for their degus. A complete pet owners manual by sharon vanderlip 20010525. Lecture notes for occupational health students gondar. What to consider when getting a degu degus love human interaction but they. Prior knowledge and preparationbefore acquiring a degu, it is crucial that any potential keeper finds out about the animal including how to provide for theanimals needs when kept in captivity and how long it lives.
Degus are small rodents related to chinchillas and guinea pigs. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. For health science students biostatistics getu degu fasil tessema university of gondar in collaboration with the ethiopia public health training initiative, the carter center, the ethiopia ministry of health, and the ethiopia ministry of education january 2005. It is written in an easy to read and understandable style. Read our pet care advice on degus and chipmunks by clicking on the care sheets below. While this may be true, the degu is more closely related to the rabbit and is cousin to the chinchilla. You should not allow your pet to fall pregnant more than once a year as. In outward appearance and measurements length of body, 15 cm, and length of tail, 12 cm it resembles the brown rat.
It covers care, health, diet, housing, food, and breeding. The degu octodon degus is a small caviomorph rodent that is native to chile. They are a rodent that is related to chinchillas and guinea pigs. Some degu tails are longer than others, and some have a white flash in their tail tip. Degus as pets, a complete degu care guide paperback april 11, 2014. Breeding can very rarely make you money, when you take into consideration the amount of extra cages you need to separate the male and female pups, the male and female parents, and the recommended time inbetween breeding you will spend a lot more than you will be making.
Degus exotic small mammal care and husbandry wiley online. A pet should always be for life, not a passing phase or a shortterm project. Chew on objects to maintain all their teeth, which grow continuously. With degus being unable to metabolize sugar, diabetes is a concern.
Were proud to provide the most accurate, uptodate, fully referenced degu information on the net. Introducing degu pups newly weaned between 68 weeks old is a very different process than introducing a mature degu over 8 weeks old. Degu, genus octodon, one of four species of ratlike south american rodents found primarily on the lower western slopes of the andes mountains. On this page you can read or download lecture notes for occupational health students gondar university in pdf format. A degu can shed part of its tail if a predator grabs it. Oxbow offers this basic care guide to help you keep your pet chinchilla healthy and happy. The degu is native to central and northern chile, where they live in large groups. Read below to learn what to feed your chinchilla, as well as other important facts that will make you a confident pet owner. The degu, octodon degus, a moderatesized, precocious yet slowmaturing hystricomorph rodent from central chile has increased in use and popularity as a laboratory animal species. Their parental care is different from most other rodents, as females will altruistically nurse one anothers young and the males are actually involved in rearing the young. Degus are very healthy and thrifty animals, with a low occurrence of diseases.
It is sometimes referred to as the brushtailed rat although not closely related to the rat family and is also called the common degu, to distinguish it from the other members of the genus octodon. It is one of the most common mammals of central chile at elevations up to 1,200 metres 3,900 feet, where it prefers open grassy areas near shrubs. When one animal detects danger, it warns the rest of the group with a vocal alarm call. Degus are very social animals that create an elaborate system of burrows in nature. Some care is required to maintain healthy degus, particularly breeding females. So if you need some support to help you with a pet problem, whether its about a dog or a degu, were here for you. The females raise their young in a communal group and, to be healthy and happy, degus should be kept as pets in pairs or groups. At the smithsonians zoo, the degus eat a low protein pellet, leafy greens and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots. Degus exotic small mammal care and husbandry wiley.
The sex of the degus involved will affect the speed of introductions. It is the most prolific mammal in chile, where it is considered an agricultural pest. The purpose of this standard operating procedure sop is to outline the daily care and husbandry practices required for octadon degus housed in laboratory animal resources at the university of montana. Degus love human interaction but they dont really enjoy being handled a lot so theyre not ideal for young children. The degu inhabits bush thickets in south america chile, peru, and bolivia. If you dont see any interesting for you, use our search form on bottom v. Every degu has their own unique way of life and this makes it very easy to know who youre dealing with. If your degu is suddenly drinking a lot of water, contact your veterinarian. The average lifespan of a degu kept in captivity is 68 years, with 9 years being the maximum expected age. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Guaranteed to answer all your questions, this book is a must have for anybody passionate about owning degus. Owning and caring for a pet rodent is great fun and very rewarding, but it is a big responsibility and commitment in terms of care and finances.
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