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What is a degu exactly2007-11-24 22:17:27

the people who gave me him said he was part squirrel and chinchilla? is that true?

Answers:

No. A degu is a small burrowing rodent of the guinea pig and chinchilla family. (You cannot breed squirrels and chinchillas, or any other cross-rodent species.) They are native to Chile. They are also very social, so you ought to have more than one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/degu...

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The Degu (Octodon degus) 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 infraorder Caviomorpha

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This is a degu:

http://www.freewebs.com/rspca_medway_wes...

http://www.petkingdom.org/images/page_li...

http://www.47d.org/~seven/pics/critters/...

http://www.beis.de/degus/degu01_l.jpg...

http://www.jippii.com/community/forum/up...

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbvi...

Yes, it looks like a squirrel and a chinchilla put together. It's a small rodent that's native in Chile, but wasn't from there. Some people refer to it as the Trumpet-tailed rat, but it's not related to the rat family. Degus are very social animals and can become very tame if handled from an early age. However, they do best if kept with other degus because of their social nature. They are playful and curious. Without social interaction and opportunity for exercise, they can be aggressive and neurotic. Degus are diurnal (active during the day). In the wild they live in communities (much like prairie dogs) and dig an elaborate system of burrows to live in. They're, actually, related more closer to the rabbit. They're life span, in captivity, is 5 to 10 years in general. They have long whiskers, and their ears are quite big. A full grown adult is about 6" long with another 6" in tail with a bit of fluff on the end of the tail. The teeth of a healthy Degu are orange coloured. Light yellow or white teeth are an indication of a serious disease.

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A degu is like a gerbil and a chinchilla mixed together.

What makes the degu so interesting is that it's a diurnal animal. It stays awake in the daytime and sleeps at night, which is rather uncommon because most rodents sleep in the daytime and stays awake at night.