Degus live in complex underground systems with up to 10 other individuals. (Image credit: imageBROKER.com GmbH & Co. KG / Alamy Stock Photo)
Name: Common Degu (Octodon degus)
Where he lives: Central Chile.
Diet: grasses, seeds, bark, and sometimes even its own feces.
Why it's interesting: Degus, which grow to about 10 to 12 inches (25 to 31 cm) in length and have brown fur, resemble large hamsters with long tails. These round rodents are endemic to the Matorral region of Chile, where they live in complex underground tunnels with up to 10 other degus.
In these communities, degu urine plays a vital role.
These sociable creatures use their urine in several fun ways, including bathing. To clean themselves, degus roll around in sand soaked in their own urine. Degus also use urine to mark their routes and territories.
Their urine reflects ultraviolet (UV) light, which degus can perceive. This allows them to identify social areas and their territories, as well as other degus that have urine on their fur. Fresh degu urine reflects UV light more brightly than old urine. According to a 2003 study, degus can use their UV vision to distinguish between fresh and old urine tracks, which helps them understand where others have been and where social activity is taking place.
Unlike many other small rodents, such as hamsters and chinchillas, which are active at night, degus prefer to be active during the day and sleep at night.
They also have a clever strategy for escaping predators. If caught, degus will quickly detach their tails, a technique called “degloving,” which distracts attention and gives them a chance to escape. However, the tails do not regenerate, so this is a one-time trick.
As highly social animals, degus can communicate in a variety of ways and are capable of producing up to 15 different sounds. They chatter their teeth when upset, squeak when afraid, and make high-pitched trills and barks when excited. Degu mothers also make special maternal calls when nursing their young, which are thought to stimulate and maintain the feeding process.
TOPICS amazing animals
Lydia SmithSocial Link NavigationScience Writer
Lydia Smith is a health and science journalist working for publications in the UK and US. She holds an MA in Psychology from the University of Glasgow and an MA in English Literature from King's College London.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
