Degu

Degu
Octodon degus
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Octodontidae
Genus:	Octodon
Species:	O. degus
Binomial name
Octodon degus (Molina, 1782)

The Degu (Octodon degus; pronounced /'deɪgu:/) is a small caviomorph rodent that is native to Chile. It is sometimes referred to as the Brush-Tailed 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. Other members are also called degus, but they are distinguished by additional names. The name "degu" on its own, however, indicates either the genus Octodon or, more usually, O. degus. Degus are closely related to the chinchilla and guinea pig, also placed in parvorder caviomorpha, infraorder hystricognathi.

Social behavior

Degus are highly social. They live in burrows, and, by digging communally, they are able to construct larger and more elaborate burrows than they could on their own.^[2] Degus digging together coordinate their activities, forming digging chains.^[3] Females living in the same group have been shown to spontaneously nest communally;^[4][5] they nurse one another's young. They spend a large amount of time on the surface, where they forage for food.^[3] When foraging, their ability to detect predators is increased in larger groups,^[6] and each animal needs to spend less time in vigilance. Degus exhibit a wide array of communication techniques. They have an elaborate vocal repertoire comprising up to 15 unique sounds,^[7] and the young need to be able to hear their mother's calls if the emotional systems in their brains are to develop properly.^[8] They use their urine to scent mark,^[9] and experiments have shown that they react to one another's marks,^[10] although in males the hormone testosterone may suppress their sense of smell somewhat.^[11]

Degus are seasonal breeders; the breeding season for wild degus begins in the Chilean autumn when there is roughly 12 hours light:12 hours darkness,^[12] with pups born in early to mid spring.^[13] Female degus are pregnant for approximately ninety days,^[14][15] having a comparatively long gestation period compared to other non-caviomorph rodents. Female pregnant weight varies over the course of gestation and according to litter size;^[16] litters contain an average of six pups,^[4] but size can range from one or two up to twelve young.^[16] Degu pups are born relatively precocial, fully furred and with eyes open, and their auditory and visual systems are functional at birth.^[17]

Unlike some other octodontids, degus are diurnal^[18] (active during the day), and they have good vision. Their retinas include rod cells and two types of cone cells, corresponding to peak sensitivity in the green and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum.^[19] Behavioral experiments have shown that degus are able to discriminate ultraviolet light from the wavelengths visible to humans; it is likely that this ultraviolet sensitivity has a social function, since both their ventral (stomach) fur and their urine are highly UV reflective.^[20]

Diet

Degus use their forepaws to hold food whilst eating

Degus are strictly herbivorous, in the wild feeding on grasses and browsing the leaves of shrubs, though they will also take seeds.^[21] Throughout much of the year forage is dried^[18] and so degus are specially adapted to a very high fibre intake,^[22] and this varies between food types and environmental conditions.^[23] Like some other herbivores such as rabbits, they perform coprophagy (faecal reingestion) so as to extract more nutrition from their diet.^[24] This also serves to maintain healthy gut function during times when food is scarce.^[24] Although they are active by day, in high summer they do not leave their burrows in the middle of the day^[18] and instead emerge to forage in the mornings and evenings.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of degu physiology is their intolerance of dietary sugar. Degus have been found to have a divergent insulin structure (one of the hormones that regulates blood glucose level) and so are highly susceptible to developing diabetes mellitus when fed regularly on a diet containing free sugars.^[25] This is thought to be due to evolutionary pressure arising from the lack of availability of free sugars in the degu's natural environment.^[26]

Research subjects

Degus are extremely intelligent and have a good ability to solve problems

Degus entered the research spotlight due to their unique relationship with sugar and diabetes, but are also studied for a wide variety of other reasons. Neuroscientists at the Riken Institute in Tokyo, Japan, used degus for research into tool use in animals with good eye-and-paw coordination, in which they spontaneously learned to use a tiny rake to retrieve out-of-reach seeds.^[27] Degus have also been found to spontaneously stack objects in order of decreasing size.^[28] In both cases it is the first time these behaviours have been recorded in animals other than apes and birds.

Another interesting area of degu research is circadian rhythm function, i.e. the ability of the brain to tell what time of day it is. Degus have the ability to show both diurnal and nocturnal rhythms if the environment permits,^[29] allowing a unique opportunity for study. Degus can take cues that do not relate to day length, such as temperature,^[30] melatonin levels^[31] and even scents from other degus^[32] to adjust their rhythms.

Degus are also invaluable in development and aging studies. Research has shown that separation anxiety caused by separating pups from their mother from an early age for periods of half an hour or more can cause developmental and behavioural changes in later life, similar to ADHD in humans.^[33] In elderly degus, neural markers have been discovered which are remarkably similar to those in humans with Alzheimer's disease,^[34] which is the first time this has been seen in a non-human mammal.

Pets

Captive degus need plenty of space to exhibit a full range of normal behaviours

After initial interest into degus as research subjects, degus have become popular as pets, though until very recently they were seldom found in pet shops. Their advantages over traditional small pets are their diurnal habits, bubbly personalities, the haired tail (as compared to rats and mice) and their lifetime: they are reported to live up to 13 years under ideal circumstances (though a poor gene pool/genetic background often reduces a pet degu's lifespan significantly). The average lifespan of a degu in captivity is typically around 6-8 years of age. One disadvantage of the degu as a pet is their predisposition to chewing, due to their continually growing incisor and molar teeth.^[15] For this reason degus cannot be housed in plastic-bottomed cages typically found in pet stores. Untamed degus, as with most small animals, can be prone to biting, but their intelligence makes them easy to tame. Degus often 'groom' their human owners, by a gentle nibbling action, and readily bond with any person spending time with them.

Gallery

Octodon degus in captivity.	Two degus outside.	Baby degus nursing.	Baby degu wrapped in a sock.
Adult degu on a perch.	Two degus.	Degu scratching.	Three degu pups, eight days old.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Degu

• Degutopia - Fully referenced scientific degu information, registration and much more for owners and researchers.
• Deguworld.com - The Internet's Degu Expert, providing information, a forum and advice on raising your Degus.
• http://postdiluvian.org/~seven/degus.html
• Degu Rock - Great information and ideas for degu owners.