Mapudungun dewue
The degu is a south American caviomorph 1 which inhabits the semi-arid (desert-like) scrub areas of central Chile 2, typically between Vallenar and Curico on the west slope of the Andes 52. This is the only place in the world where degus can be found in the wild and is where degus originated. This diagram represents the habitat range of the degu in Chile in 1968 when the survey was made. Source: Woods, C. and Boraker, D. (1975) 'Octodon degus.' Mammalian Species, 67: pp. 1-5. (Ref. Degus are in the parvorder Caviomorpha of the infraorder Hystricognathi, along with the chinchilla and guinea pig. The word degu comes from the Mapudungun dewue (dewü, mouse). rat 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. 1. As with all pets, make sure that degus are right for you. Degus will cost a fair amount of money initially, and through their lifespan, which is around 5 to 8 years. A lot of items will need replacing (wheel, nest box, even their entire cage) because of wear and tear, and they don't often come cheap. Buying the necessities: 1  Degus need a large cage to live in. 2  For 2 adult degus, a minimum size of cage would be 8 cubic feet (216000 cubic centimeters). 3  An ideal cage would be made almost entirely of wire, aside from the base, which would be metal, maybe with a wood lining. Origin, Kinship and Life in the Wild Degus are a quite young pet-species as they were introduced to households as pets in the 1980s. Now they are rapidly growing in popularity. When they were first discovered scientifically in the middle of the 18th century they were thought to be members of the squirrel family.  The Degu looks like a combination of other small rodents. The fur is brown/grey tipped with black. Pet Degus measure about 25-30 cm, about the size of an adult person´s open palm. The tail is long and hairy and carried raised. It is used for balance. Eyes are dark brown. Teeth are an unexpected orange in color. Ears are large. Degus use their front legs to pick things up, similar to what a squirrel does. The degu is a small animal with a body length of 25.0 to 31.0 centimetres (9.8–12.2 in) and a weight of 170 to 300 grams (6.0 to 10.6 oz). It has yellow-brown fur above and creamy-yellow below, with yellow around the eyes and a paler band around the neck. 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. Degus are a type of rodent which are closely related to the chinchilla and Guinea pig, and although they do bear some resemblance to both gerbils and squirrels they are not closely related to these species. Pet Degus measure about 25-30 cm, about the size of an adult person´s open palm. The tail is long and hairy and carried raised. It is used for balance. Eyes are dark brown. Teeth are an unexpected orange in color. Ears are large. Degus use their front legs to pick things up, similar to what a squirrel does. 1 Degus need a large cage to live in. 2  For 2 adult degus, a minimum size of cage would be 8 cubic feet (216000 cubic centimeters). 3  An ideal cage would be made almost entirely of wire, aside from the base, which would be metal, maybe with a wood lining. Buying the necessities: 1  Degu's originate in Chile, a country on the western side of South America.  For more detailed information about the degu's natural habitat, visit the habitat and history sections. This satellite picture of south America shows the location of Chile, the country along the west coast of the continent. This diagram represents the habitat range of the degu in Chile in 1968 when the survey was made. Source: Woods, C. and Boraker, D. (1975) 'Octodon degus.' Mammalian Species, 67: pp. 1-5. (Ref.
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where do degus come from