The Degu Appreciation thread

Cornucopia

I got a Degu about 6 months ago, and I continue to be impressed and fascinated by this intriguing pet. As a slightly unusual pet, I've found that a lot of people have questions about them, or do not know what they are.

There's also a limited amount of info online, some of which I've found to be less useful than it could be.

The first thing to say is that experts recommend that Degus be kept in groups of at least 2 same-sex animals. My Degu was a rescue animal, who had been given up because of his aggression to other Degus. The horror stories I've seen about single Degus seem to be exaggerated. Mine seems quite happy, healthy and good-tempered.


What is a Degu?

It's a small rodent from South America. It has the appearance and manner of a cross between a Rat and a Squirrel (though it's not directly related to either). The natural colouring is dark brown-grey on the upper body, and beige on the lower body. The fur is thick and fine, and the upper body has two layers of fur in slightly different colours. They have prominent, orange-coloured incisor teeth, and their mouths are on the underside of the snout.

They have a tail about the same length as their bodies. The tail is mostly leathery, with a small tuft of black fur on the end. When walking or running, the animal holds its tail off the ground in an arc, with the tufted end pointing upwards. The tail can be wagged, and this seems to indicate anxiety. Degus lose their tails (or the end of the tail) very easily, and it does not grow back.

Degus have prominent white whiskers, which they can twitch and fold back. The nose has visible folds on its surface, and the Degu can deform its nose (not sure why).

They are very intelligent, and can be trained to voice commands to a limited extent. They have an inquisitive, independent nature, and do not need grooming because they do this for themselves.

They make a wide range of sounds, each of which appears to have a well-defined meaning. In particular, they make a "happiness chirp", which indicates contentment, excitement, companionship and mischief afoot.


Paws

They have four paws, with the back legs & paws being much larger than the front. They readily stand upright, using the back paws and tail to balance. The front paws have semi-opposable thumbs, allowing them to hold small objects in one paw. The paws have individual toes, each with a small, black claw, which can be quite sharp.

They groom their own claws, holding each paw in turn at the correct angle to trim the claws with their teeth.



I'll add more bits to this thread, and I'd be interested to hear other FM's experiences of their Degus.