Classification
View: Daegu
Genus: Octodon
Family: Eight-Toothed
Order: Rodents
Class: Mammals
Type: Chordates
Dimensions: Height – 9-22 cm, weight – 100-500 g.
Life span: 5-10 years
Chilean squirrel degu belongs to the order of rodents, which, like lemmings and ferrets can live both in the wild and at home. On the animal’s homeland is called a shrub rat.
Content
- 1 Habitat
- 2 Description
- 3 Intelligence and behavior
- 4 Key Features
- 5 Nutrition
- 6 List of prohibited products
- 7 Health
- 8 Breeding
- 9 Captivity
- 10 Care
- 11 Value in nature
Habitat
The species is common in Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. In the wild, the animal prefers to live in overgrown shrubs and rocky biotopes.
The yellow-brown or gray-brown color of the animal has short and soft fur
Description
The yellow-brown or gray-brown color of the animal has short and soft fur. The muzzle of the animal is elongated, on it large eyes are opposite each other for visibility almost 360 degrees.
The oval-shaped ears are quite large and are pressed in silence to body, and with any rustle revealed.
Interesting! Degu has a very developed auditory apparatus that allows the animal to catch sounds inaccessible to perceptions to man.
Squirrel has a more rounded nose compared to conventional mice. It has a large number of mustaches performing olfactory function.
The animal has 20 teeth, consisting of incisors and molars. Fangs are missing – instead of them is a gap called diastema.
Chilean degu spits out through the diastema particles.
The tail of an animal, like a jerboa, is quite long with a small brush on the end that can be painted in white.
Decorative degu proteins are very active, so they like to take playing games
Intelligence and behavior
Chilean degu is a very smart animal that you can train respond to your nickname and teach some simple commands. They are easily tamed and adapt to the rhythm of the life of the owners.
This animal loves communication, needs regular contact with master and affection. If he does not pay enough attention, then the animal will become shy and wild.
A new pet gets used to a person quickly, becomes affectionate, it makes an excellent companion.
Decorative degu proteins are very active, so they like to take games yourself. Chilean homemade squirrels prefer to run a lot and poke your curious little nose everywhere.
Like a true rodent, a pet will try all hard objects with teeth that need regular grinding.
In nature, degu proteins live in groups with a developed hierarchy. At each group has its own nesting and forage territory, which they protect against outsiders.
Key Features
- Chilean degu ideal for home content conditions, as it is considered a hypoallergenic pet and does not have smell.
- The animal prefers to lead an active day lifestyle, therefore will not bother at night with extraneous sounds;
- Among all rodents, the degu squirrel is distinguished by longevity.
- Pets really like a large space, so they need walks around the apartment.
- Do Chilean squirrels grow throughout life teeth.
- The animal cannot be pulled by the tail due to physiological features. In the wild, a limb tends to reset skin if a rodent grabs a predator by it.
In addition to herbs, a home squirrel needs a specialized feed and healthy goodies: berries, flowers and various vegetables
Food
In the wild, degu protein eats:
- various types of herbs;
- plant seeds;
- leaves and roots of shrubs;
- tree bark;
- fruits and vegetables.
At home, the pet’s diet should consist of 50% of dry leaves and herbs of good quality. In the cage of an animal always fresh hay should be present.
Grass is necessary degu for full development and health. IN it contains a large amount of fiber and carotene, which provide a full metabolism and growth.
In addition, fresh hay contains many other useful substances necessary for the herbivore animal.
The daily diet of the pet should include:
- dandelion;
- plantain;
- chamomile;
- nettles;
- clover;
- twigs and leaves of fruit trees.
In addition to herbs, a home squirrel needs a specialized feed and healthy goodies: berries, flowers and various vegetables.
Fodders often contain raisins, seeds and bananas, which the rodent should not be consumed in large quantities due to the content starchy substances, fats and sugar.
Chilean degu should receive the following fruits, berries and vegetables:
- apples (preferably acidic varieties);
- cauliflower;
- parsley or celery;
- rosehip;
- lingonberry.
Pet foods intended for rats and hamsters. Mixtures for guinea pigs and chinchillas can be used.
The composition of the feed should not contain such harmful substances, like fish and bone meal, cane molasses, animal fats and powdered milk.
Sometimes crops can be included in the degu diet, for example, wheat, rye, barley or oats.
Prohibited Products List
Protein degu is forbidden to feed the following products:
- cheese
- fish
- meat;
- sausage;
- sweet pepper;
- sorrel;
- spicy herbs;
- sweets;
- canned products.
If the above food will be included in the diet of squirrels, then this can be detrimental to her health.
Health
The most common diseases in degu (60%) are diseases teeth. Cutters are not erased properly.
For this reason, the cheek teeth become elongated and injure cheeks. Dental pathologies are most often found in individuals over 2 years old.
Commercial food mixtures are high in calories and do not contain much amount of coarse fiber. Degu needs less time to get them chew, so the teeth do not wear out, as it would in the wild nature.
Many degu, with malnutrition, suffer from a disease teeth
Skin diseases are the second most common problems, health related.
Violation of behavior, problems with teeth lead to the fact that the animal gnaws wool on the front legs at home and at neighbors the cage.
Due to improper care and if the coat gets wet, it is possible the occurrence of inflammation of the hair follicles (folliculitis).
Skin problems are most common among young rodents in under one year old.
Squirrel degu can gnaw fur, both at home and in relatives
Older animals may develop cataracts. Reason for this diseases as well as diabetes can be high feed sugar content.
Chilean degu due to physiological characteristics cannot completely digest sugar.
Among gastrointestinal diseases, expansion is common stomach and non-infectious diarrhea caused by low-foods fiber content.
Also, the decorative protein is obese, so the pet Do not overfeed.
Almost all degu diseases are related to nutrition, improper care, self-nibbling wool.
Breeding
The female and the male must live together from an early age – as it is it is likely that rodents will be able to live peacefully with each other friend in adulthood. Before mating, animals begin to look after each other, making singing sounds.
Sexual maturity in females can occur in the period from one and a half months to a year of life. In a year, a degu protein can produce offspring up to two times, from February to November.
After giving birth, the male must be repelled from the female for about a week, as a woman in labor may have a second pregnancy.
For an animal, this threatens death. Throughout pregnancy, the male should be next to the partner. Female hatches cubs about three months. The litter is decorative squirrel brings from 1 to 8 cubs.
Belchata are born well developed, with the presence of fur. Literally after a few weeks, the animals may open their eyes. Per Both the female and the male look after the offspring.
Photo of little squirrels degu
During the appearance of the cubs, the wheel is removed from the cage to squirrels could not suffer. Offspring must be with the mother up to one and a half months.
Important! You can not mate a male and a female who are in kinship.
Degu family
In the younger generation, it is important to determine the gender before one and a half months of age, otherwise the animals can mate and bring offspring.
For this, the tail is carefully lifted to the animal, diverting it into this time is a treat. The genitals of both sexes are closed and can be see only at the time of mating.
Therefore, gender is determined by the distance between the anus and urethral process.
In females, between the appendix and the anus is practically there is no distance, in men it is almost equal to one centimeter.
You can mate a female up to the age of five. Further mating is dangerous to the health and life of the animal
Captivity
Chilean degu do not emit a smell, they are convenient to keep in conditions apartments. The animal quickly gets used to the owner and is easily tamed. is he likes a company, therefore it is better to start a couple, or animals from one litter or several same-sex.
These squirrels should not be kept in the house along with smooth coat and wire-haired fox terriers, as the latter can perceive the animal as lunch.
The cage for the pet is selected from iron with frequent bars. how option, a large aquarium or a 60 liter terrarium with trellised roof.
Squirrel degu is very active, loves to climb, run, so the cell should be spacious and made of durable materials. No degou it will be difficult to crack wood or plastic.
Minimum enclosure size: length – 80, width – 50, height – 40 see. The house is equipped with a hay feeder and a glass a drinker-dispenser so that the rodent could not wet the wool.
As a litter, wood chips or pressed sawdust. From granular fillers on the paws painful corns appear. Necessarily placed stone or wooden blocks are fastened to grind claws and teeth.
So that degu does not get bored, its cage is surrounded with ladders, thick ropes, snags, tunnels, a wheel for running. If the rodent freely walks around the apartment, you can do without a wheel.
Getting ready to make degu as a pet is not out of place will see a photo on the Internet on the arrangement of his home. Highly it is important that the animal feels like in its natural environment.
For degu, space and the ability to move are important
Care
Squirrel is very sensitive to temperature changes, noise. When placing a cage in the house, do not forget about it, and choose non-hot place without drafts.
Caring for degu is not at all burdensome:
- half-eaten food, excrement is cleaned daily, washed drinking bowl;
- once a week the cells are cleaned;
- monthly complete disinfection.
Water treatments for degu are not recommended. For cleansing wool daily a bathtub filled with fine sand is placed in a cage. The filler is replaced once every two weeks.
Important! Degu does not tolerate dust. It’s connected with physiological structure of his nasal septum. Inhaling often dust, the animal can get bronchitis or rhinitis.
Squirrel will equip its nest, choosing for this shelter in your home or in the corner of the cage.
Do not let her use hay from the feeder for this. It’s better to help your pet with a synthetic padding pad for rodents, which sold at pet stores.
Eating hay, degus are often infected with worms. Deworming the animal is carried out every three months with preparations for rodents.
Value in nature
Degas in the wild rarely survive two years of age by the reason that are agricultural pests and feed on pesticide treated crops. Squirrel often becomes a food source for owls, foxes and eagles.
Degu: Decorative squirrel from Chile
Chilean squirrel degu belongs to the order of rodents that can live both in the wild and at home. At home the animal is called a shrub rat.
