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'{{distinguish|Dagu (disambiguation)|Dogu (disambiguation)|Dugu|Tegu}} {{Taxobox | status = LC | status_system = iucn3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{IUCN|version=2008|last1=Lessa|first1=E.|last2=Ojeda|first2=R.| last3=Bidau|first3=C.|year=2008|id=15088|title=''Octodon degus''|accessdate=5 January 2009}}</ref> | image = Octodon degus -Heidelberg Zoo, Germany-8a.jpg | image_caption=At [[Heidelberg Zoo]], Germany | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[Mammal]]ia | ordo = [[Rodent]]ia | subordo = [[Hystricognathi]] | parvordo = [[Caviomorpha]] | familia = [[Octodontidae]] | genus = ''[[Octodon]]'' | species = '''''O. degus''''' | binomial = ''Octodon degus'' | binomial_authority = ([[Juan Ignacio Molina|Molina]], 1782) | synonyms = ''Sciurus degus'' <small>Molina, 1782</small><br /> ''Octodon degus'': <small>[[George Robert Waterhouse|Waterhouse]], 1848</small> }} The '''degu''' (''Octodon degus'', {{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|eɪ|ɡ|uː}}) is a small [[caviomorpha|caviomorph]] [[rodent]] that is [[endemic]] to the [[Chilean matorral]] ecoregion of central [[Chile]].<ref>C. Michael Hogan & World Wildlife Fund. 2013. Chilean Matorral. Ed. Mark McGinley. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC</ref> It is sometimes referred to as the '''brush-tailed rat''', 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 in the [[parvorder]] [[Caviomorpha]] of the [[infraorder]] [[Hystricognathi]], along with the [[chinchilla]] and [[guinea pig]]. The word ''degu'' comes from the [[Mapudungun]] ''dewü'' (mouse, rat).<ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Diccionario Mapuche: Mapudungun/Español, Español/Mapudungun |language=Spanish |edition=2nd |year=2006 |editor=Muñoz Urrutia, Rafael |location=Santiago, Chile |isbn=956-8287-99-X |pages=104, 105, 141 |publisher=Editorial Centro Gráfico}}</ref> == Description == The degu is a small animal with a body length of {{convert|25.0|to(-)|31.0|cm|in}} and a weight of {{convert|170|to|400|g|oz}}. It has yellow-brown fur above and creamy-yellow below, with yellow around the eyes and a paler band around the neck. It has a long, thin tail with a tufted black tip, dark sparsely-furred ears, and pale grey toes. Its fifth toe is small with a nail, rather than a claw, on the forefeet. Its hindfeet are bristled. Its cheek teeth are shaped like figures-of-eight, hence the degu's [[genus]] name "''Octodon''".<ref name="Woods1975"/> == Social behavior == [[File:Octodon degus -Artis Zoo, Netherlands-8b.jpg|left|thumb|Three degus keeping warm at Artis Zoo, Netherlands]] 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.<ref>{{Citation|last=Ebensperger| first=L. A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| year=2000| title=Communal burrowing in the hystricognath rodent, ''Octodon degus'': A benefit of sociality?| journal=Behavioural and Ecological Sociobiology| volume=47| pages=365–369|issn=0340-5443|doi=10.1007/s002650050678|issue=5}}</ref> Degus digging together coordinate their activities, forming digging chains.<ref name=Eb2000b>{{Citation| last=Ebensperger| first=L. A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| year=2000b| title=Energetics and burrowing behaviour in the semifossorial degu ''Octodon degus'' (Rodentia: Octodontidae)| journal=Journal of Zoology| volume=252| pages=179–186|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2000.tb00613.x|issue=2}}</ref> Females living in the same group have been shown to spontaneously nest communally;<ref name=Eb2002>{{Citation| last=Ebensperger| first=L.A.| last2=Veloso| first2=C.| last3=Wallem| first3=P.| year=2002| title=Do female degus communally nest and nurse their pups?| journal=Journal of Ethology| volume=20| pages=143–146|doi=10.1007/s10164-002-0063-x| issn=0289-0771| issue=2}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last=Ebensperger| first=L.A.| last2=Hurtado| first2=M.| last3=Lacey| first3=E.| last4=Chang| first4=A.| year=2004| title=Communal nesting and kinship in degus (''Octodon degus'')| journal=Naturwissenschaften| volume=91| pages=391–395| doi=10.1007/s00114-004-0545-5| issn=0028-1042| pmid=15309311| last5=Chang| first5=AT| issue=8}}</ref> they nurse one another's young. They spend a large amount of time on the surface, where they forage for food.<ref name=Eb2000b/> When foraging, their ability to detect predators is increased in larger groups,<ref>{{Citation| last=Quirici| first=V.| last2=Castro| first2=R.A.| last3=Oyarzun| first3=J.| last4=Ebensperger| first4=L.A.| year=2008| title=Female degus (''Octodon degus'') monitor their environment while foraging socially| journal=Anim Cogn| volume=11| pages=441–448| doi=10.1007/s10071-007-0134-z| issn=1435-9448| pmid=18214556| issue=3}}</ref> and each animal needs to spend less time in [[wiktionary:vigilance|vigilance]]. Degus exhibit a wide array of communication techniques. They have an elaborate vocal repertoire comprising up to 15 unique sounds,<ref>{{Citation| last=Long| first=C.V.| year= 2007| title= Vocalisations of the degu (''Octodon degus''), a social caviomorph rodent| journal= Bioacoustics| volume= 16| pages= 223–244| issn=0952-4622| doi=10.1080/09524622.2007.9753579}}</ref> and the young need to be able to hear their mother's calls if the emotional systems in their brains are to develop properly.<ref>{{Citation| last=Ziabreva |first=I. |last2=Schnabel |first2=R. |last3=Poeggel |first3=G. |last4=Braun |first4=K. | year=2003 |title=Mother's voice "buffers" separation-induced receptor changes in the prefrontal cortex of ''Octodon degus'' |journal=Neuroscience | volume=119 | pages=433–441| doi=10.1016/S0306-4522(03)00123-4| issue=2| pmid=12770557}}</ref> They use their [[urine]] to [[territorial marking|scent mark]],<ref>{{Citation| last=Kleiman| first=D.G.| year=1974| title=Patterns of behaviour in hystricomorph rodents. Symp Zool Soc Lond., 34: 171-209. In: The Biology of Hystricomorph Rodents |editors=Rowlands, I. W.; and Weir, B. J.| location=London| publisher=Academic Press}}</ref> and experiments have shown that they react to one another's marks,<ref>{{Citation| last=Fischer| first=R.| last2=Meunier| first2=G.| year=1985| title=Responses to conspecifics' urine by the degu ''Octodon degus''| journal=Physiological Behaviour| volume=34| pages=999–1001| doi=10.1016/0031-9384(85)90027-7| issue=6}}</ref> although in males the hormone [[testosterone]] may suppress their sense of smell somewhat.<ref>{{Citation| last=Jechura| first=T.| last2=Walsh| first2=J. | first3=T.| year=2003| title=Testosterone suppresses circadian responsiveness to social cues in the diurnal rodent ''Octodon degus''| journal=Journal of Biological Rhythms| volume=18| pages=43–50| doi=10.1177/0748730402239675| pmid=12568243| last3=Lee| issue=1}}</ref> [[File:Degu father.JPG|thumb|Male degu keeping newborn pups warm]] 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,<ref>{{Citation| last=Ebensperger| first=L.A.| last2=Caiozzi| first2=A.| year=2002| title=Male degus, ''Octodon degus'', modify their dustbathing behviour in response to social familiarity of previous dustbathing marks| journal=Revista Chilena de Historia Natural| volume=75| pages=157–163| doi=10.4067/S0716-078X2002000100015| issn=0716-078X}}</ref> with pups born in early to mid spring.<ref>{{Citation| last=Bozinovic| first=F.| last2=Bacigalupe| first2=L.| last3=Vasquez| first3=R.| last4=Visser| first4=H.| last5=Veloso| first5=C.| last6=Kenagy| first6=G.| year=2004| title=Cost of living in free-ranging degus (''Octodon degus''): Seasonal dynamics of energy expenditure| journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A| volume=137| pages=597–604| doi=10.1016/j.cbpb.2003.11.014| pmid=15123196| issue=3}}</ref> Female degus are pregnant for approximately ninety days,<ref name=Woods1975>{{Citation| last=Woods| first=C.| last2=Boraker| first2=D.| url=http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-067-01-0001.pdf| date=21 November 1975| title=''Octodon degus''| journal=Mammalian Species| volume=67|pages=1–5| doi=10.2307/3503820}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last=Brown| first=C.| last2=Donnelly| first2=T.| year=2001| title=Cataracts and reduced fertility in degus (''Octodon degus''): Contracts secondary to diabetes mellitus| journal=Lab Animal (NY)| volume=30| pages=25–26| issn=0093-7355}}</ref> 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;<ref name=Long2009>{{Citation| last=Long| first=C.V.| last2=Ebensperger| first2=L.A.| year=2009| title=Pup growth rates and breeding female weight changes in two populations of captive bred degus (''Octodon degus''), a precocial caviomorph rodent| journal=Reprod Domest Anim.| volume=45| issue=6| pages=975–82| doi=10.1111/j.1439-0531.2009.01470.x| issn=0936-6768 | pmid=19497026}}</ref> litters contain an average of six pups,<ref name=Eb2002/> but size can range from one or two up to twelve young.<ref name=Long2009/> Degu pups are born relatively [[precocial]], fully furred and with eyes open, and their [[auditory system|auditory]] and [[visual system]]s are functional at birth.<ref>{{Citation| last=Reynolds| first=T.| last2=Wright| first2=J.| year=1979| title=Early postnatal physical and behavioural development of degus (''Octodon degus'')| journal=Lab Animal (NY)| volume=13| pages=93–9| doi=10.1258/002367779780943576| issue=2}}</ref> Unlike most other rodents, male degus also take part in protecting and raising their pups until they are old enough to leave the family.<ref>http://www.exoticnutrition.com/breedingdegus.html</ref> Unlike some other [[octodontidae|octodontids]], degus are [[diurnality|diurnal]]<ref name=Kenagy2002>{{Citation| last=Kenagy| first=G.| last2=Nespolo| first2=R.| last3=Vasquez| first3=R.| last4=Bozinovic| first4=F.| year=2002| title=Daily and seasonal limits of time and temperature to activity of degus| journal=Revista Chilena de Historia Natural| volume=75| pages=567–581| doi=10.4067/S0716-078X2002000300008| issn=0716-078X| issue=3}}</ref> (active during the day), and they have good vision. Their [[retina]]s include [[rod cell]]s and two types of [[cone cell]]s, corresponding to peak sensitivity in the green and [[ultraviolet]] regions of the [[Electromagnetic spectrum|spectrum]].<ref>{{Citation| last=Cha'vez| first=A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| last3=Peich| first3=F.| last4=Palacios| first4=A.| year=2003| title=Retinal spectral sensitivity, fur coloration and urine reflectance in the genus ''Octodon'' (Rodentia): Implications for visual ecology| journal=IOVS| volume=44| pages=2290–2296| doi=10.1167/iovs.02-0670| issue=5}}</ref> 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 [[wiktionary:ventral|ventral]] (stomach) fur and their [[urine]] are highly UV reflective.<ref>{{Citation| last=Palacios| first=A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| year=2003| title=An "enactive" approach to ingtegrative and comparative biology: Thoughts on the table| journal=Biol Res.| volume=36| pages=101–105| doi=10.4067/S0716-97602003000100008| issn=0716-9760| pmid=12795209| issue=1}}</ref> == Diet == [[File:2007-12-09 (20) Degu.JPG|thumb|200px|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.<ref>{{Citation| last=Bozinovic| first=F.| last2=Gallardo| first2=P.A.| last3=Visser| first3=G.H.| last4=Cortés| first4=A.| year=2003| title=Seasonal acclimatization in water flux rate, urine osmolality and kidney water channels in free-living degus: Molecular mechanisms, physiological processes and ecological implications| journal=J Exp Biol.| volume=206| pages=2959–2966| doi=10.1242/jeb.00509| pmid=12878664| issue=Pt 17}}</ref> Throughout much of the year forage is dried<ref name=Kenagy2002/> and so degus are specially adapted to a very high fibre intake,<ref>{{Citation| last=Langer| first=P.| year=2002| title=The digestive tract and life history of small mammals| journal=Mammal Review| volume=32| pages=107–131| doi=10.1046/j.1365-2907.2002.00101.x|issue=2}}</ref> and this varies between food types and environmental conditions.<ref>{{Citation| last=Gutiérrez| first=J.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| year=1998| title=Diet selection in captivity by a generalist herbivorous rodent (''Octodon degus'') from the Chilean costal desert| journal=Journal of Arid Environments| volume=39| pages=601–607| doi=10.1006/jare.1998.0412| issue=4}}</ref> Like some other herbivores such as [[rabbit]]s, they perform [[coprophagia|coprophagy]] ([[feces|faecal]] reingestion) so as to extract more nutrition from their diet.<ref name=Kenagy1999>{{Citation| last=Kenagy| first=G.| last2=Veloso| first2=C.| last3=Bozinovic| first3=F.| year=1999| title=Daily rhythms of food intake and feces reingestion in the degu, an herbivorous Chilean rodent: Optimizing digestion through coprophagy| journal=Physiological and Biochemical Zoology| volume=72| pages=78–86| doi=10.1086/316644| pmid=9882606| issue=1}}</ref> This also serves to maintain healthy gut function during times when food is scarce.<ref name=Kenagy1999/> Although they are active by day, in high summer they do not leave their burrows in the middle of the day<ref name=Kenagy2002/> 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.<ref>{{Citation| last=Opazo| first=J.C.| last2=Soto-Gamboa| first2=M.| last3=Bozinovic| first3=F.| year=2004| title=Blood glucose concentration in caviomorph rodents| journal=Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A.| volume= 137| pages= 57–64| doi=10.1016/j.cbpb.2003.09.007}}</ref> This is thought to be due to evolutionary pressure arising from the lack of availability of free sugars in the degu's natural environment.<ref>{{Citation| last=Nishi| first=M.| last2=Steiner| first2=D.| year=2003| title=Cloning of complementary DNA's encoding islet amyloid polypeptide, insulin, and glucagon precursors from a New World rodent, the degu, ''Octodon degus''| journal=Molecular Endocrinology| volume=4| pages=1192–8| doi=10.1210/mend-4-8-1192| pmid=2293024| issue=8}}</ref> Because of this, the ingredients of non-degu specific hard feed formulations given to captive degus should be checked for free-sugar substances, such as [[molasses]], [[honey]] and [[glucose syrup]].{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} == Research subjects == [[File:Degu Dolly.jpg|thumb|200px|Degus are extremely intelligent and have a good ability to solve problems.<ref name="Okanoya 2008 e1860">{{Citation| last=Okanoya| first=K.| last2=Tokimoto| first2=N.| last3=Kumazawa| first3=N.| last4=Hihara| first4=S.| last5=Iriki| first5=A.| year=2008| title=Tool-Use Training in a Species of Rodent: The Emergence of an Optimal Motor Strategy and Functional Understanding| journal=PLoS ONE| volume=3| pages=e1860| doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0001860| pmid=18365015| issue=3| pmc=2268009| last6=Ferrari| first6=Pier Francesco|editor1-last=Ferrari| editor1-first=Pier Francesco}}</ref> This individual has a much shorter tail than normal, almost certainly due to injury.]] 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. [[Neuroscience|Neuroscientists]] at the [[RIKEN|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.<ref name="Okanoya 2008 e1860"/> Degus have also been found to spontaneously stack objects in order of decreasing size.<ref>{{Citation| last=Tokimoto| first=N.| last2=Okanoya| first2=K.| year=2004| title=Spontaneous construction of "Chinese boxes" by degus (''Octodon degus''): A rudiment of recursive intelligence?| journal=Japanese Psychological Research| volume=46| pages=255–261| doi=10.1111/j.1468-5584.2004.00257.x| issue=3}}</ref> 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 [[Diurnality|diurnal]] and [[nocturnal]] rhythms if the environment permits,<ref>{{Citation| last2=Edgar| first2=D. M.| last=Kas| first=M. J. H.| year=2000| title=Photic phase response curve in ''Octodon degus'': Assessment as a function of activity phase preference| journal=American Journal of Physiology| volume=277| issue=5| pages=R1385–1389| url=http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/278/5/R1385|pmid=10801311}}</ref> allowing a unique opportunity for study. Degus can take cues that do not relate to day length, such as temperature,<ref>{{Citation| last=Kas| first=M.J.| last2=Edgar| first2=D.M.| year=1998| title=Crepuscular rhythms of EEG sleep-wake in a hystricomorph rodent, ''Octodon degus''| journal=J. Biol. Rhythms| volume=13| pages=9–17| doi=10.1177/074873098128999871| pmid=9486839| issue=1}}</ref> [[melatonin]] levels<ref>{{Citation| last=Morris| first=L.G.| last2=Tate| first2=B.L.| year=2007| title=Phase response curve to melatonin in a putatively diurnal rodent, ''Octodon degus''| journal= Chronobiol. Int.| volume=24| pages=407–411| doi=10.1080/07420520701420352| pmid=17612940| issue=3}}</ref> and even scents from other degus<ref>{{Citation| last=Jechura| first=T.J.| last2=Mahoney| first2=M.M.| last3=Stimpson| first3=C.D.| last4=Lee| first4=T.M.| year=2006| title=Odor-specific effects on reentrainment following phase advances in the diurnal rodent, ''Octodon degus''| journal=Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.| volume=291| pages=R1808–1816| doi=10.1152/ajpregu.00005.2006| issn=0363-6119| pmid=16840658| issue=6}}</ref> to adjust their rhythms. Degus are also invaluable in development and aging studies. Research has shown that [[separation anxiety disorder|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.<ref>{{Citation| last=Zehle| first=S.| last2=Bock| first2=J.| last3=Jezierski| first3=G.| last4=Gruss| first4=M.| last5=Braun| first5=K.| year=2007| title=Methylphenidate treatment recovers stress-induced elevated dendritic spine densities in the rodent dorsal anterior cingulate cortex| journal=Dev. Neurobiol.| volume=67| pages=1891–1900| doi=10.1002/dneu.20543| pmid=17874461| issue=14}}</ref> In elderly degus, [[neural]] markers have been discovered which are remarkably similar to those in humans with [[Alzheimer's disease]], which is the first time this has been seen in a wild-type rodent.<ref>{{Citation| last=Inestrosa| first=N.C.| last2=Reyes| first2=A.E.| last3=Chacon| first3=M.A.| last4=Cerpa| first4=W.| last5=Villalon| first5=A.| last6=Montiel| first6=J.| last7=Merabachvili| first7=G.| last8=Aldunate| first8=R.| last9=Bozinovic| first9=F.| last10=Aboitiz| first10=Francisco| year=2004| title=Human-like rodent amyloid-beta-peptide determines Alzheimer pathology in aged wild-type ''Octodon degus''| journal=Neurobiol. Aging| volume=26| pages=1023–8| doi=10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2004.09.016| pmid=15748782| issue=7| display-authors=8}}</ref> ==Pets== [[File:Degus-4er-Bande.jpg|thumb|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 [[Diurnality|diurnal]] habits, bubbly personalities, the haired tail (as compared to [[rat]]s and [[mouse|mice]]) and their lifespan: 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).{{citation needed|date=November 2011}} 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.<ref name=Woods1975/> For this reason degus cannot be housed in plastic-bottomed cages typically found in pet stores. A metal cage with multiple levels made for rats and secured double latches works best. It is important to line the levels with grass mats or a soft fabric so that the degus do not get [[Bumblefoot (infection)|bumblefoot]].{{citation needed|date=December 2010}} Untamed degus, as with most small animals, can be prone to biting, but their intelligence makes them easy to tame. Regular non-predatory handling and food offerings help with this transition. It is important never to try to catch a degu by the tail because it will fall off easily and is painful to the creature. If this occurs it will not grow back. Degus often 'groom' their human owners, by a gentle nibbling action, and readily bond with any person spending time with them. Degus need regular sand baths to keep their coats healthy and free from grease. [[Chinchilla]] sand is ideal for this. They should have access to this regularly, preferably two or three times a week, half an hour at a time. Daily sandbathing can make their coats soiled. ===Legal status=== Some jurisdictions consider degus as a potential invasive species and forbid owning them as a pet. In the [[United States]], they are illegal to own in [[California]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[Alaska]].<ref>http://degucage.com/where-are-degus-legal/</ref> In [[Canada]] they are illegal to own in [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]. They are completely illegal in [[New Zealand]].{{citation needed|date=November 20 they are also illegal in the [[UK]] == Gallery == <gallery> Image:Degu-Rudi.jpg|Degus in captivity. Image:Degu.jpg|Two degus outside. Image:BabyGoosNursing.jpg| Baby degus nursing. Image:DeguAdultBonzi.jpg| Adult degu on a perch. Image:Octodon degus BG.jpg|Two degus. Image:Octodon_degus_4.jpg|Degu scratching. Image:Degu pups.jpg|Three degu pups, eight days old. Image:Two young degus.JPG|Two young degus Image:Degu_can_be_trained_to_do_tricks.jpg|Degu performing a trick Image:Newborn_degu_%281_day_old%29.jpg|Newborn degu (1 day old) Image:Nursning degu.JPG|Mother nursing newborn pups </gallery> == References == {{reflist|2}} == External links == {{Commons category|Octodon degus}} {{wikispecies|Octodon degus}} * [http://www.deguworld.com Deguworld.com] * [http://www.degutopia.co.uk Degutopia] * [http://postdiluvian.org/~seven/degus.html Degu Links] * [http://www.degurock.moonfruit.com/ Degu Rock] {{Octodontidae nav}} [[Category:Octodontidae]] [[Category:Rodents of South America]] [[Category:Mammals of Chile]] [[Category:Tool-using mammals]] [[Category:Animals described in 1782]]'