Care Sheet for Small AnimalsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.40 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 06/21/2005 |
Main Category: | Non-Reptile/Amphibian |
Sub Category: | Small Animals |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Nikki_Horselover |
Years Experience: | 1 to 2 Years |
Species: | Degus |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Degu - (Pronounced - Day-goo)
Andes Mountain Squirrel |
Sexing and Characteristics: | In degus, the males parts are farther away from the females parts. Unlike with most mammals it can be very difficult to tell the difference between a male and female degu. However with some effort it is possible. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Degus need a large water bottle filled with spring or bottled water. Never give them tap water because it could risk the chance of getting parasites or diseases. Degus need free access to water all the time! |
Lighting and UVB: | Regular house lights are fine for degus. Just make sure you don`t keep a whole bunch of lights on all night because degus are not nocturnal, they like to sleep at night. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Warm temperatures for degus are good. But never leave them in a cage that is in the sun, because they will get way too hot. If it is a very hot day, you could use some spring water in a spray bottle and gently give a spray in the air and let it float down over top of them. Degus usually like that. Since they originated from Chile, in the Andes mountains, they are used to colder temperatures. |
Heating and Equipment: | No heating is needed for degus. |
Caging Provided: | The most BEST cage you could possible get for degus, is a big large aquarium. Nothing else will last you much longer. Regular hamster cages, no way they will chew that plastic right down, and the bars. Plus they are way too small for degus to live in. But a common thing that degu owners do, is build the degus a large house made of wood. You can use wood, the chicken wire with the small square holes and apple tree branches for the degus to climb on. My dad built my 3 degus a house like that, but still even that doesn`t last long!! Degus will still chew right through the wood in time. So if your going to own degus, get a large aquarium, it really is the best home they could have. Without the risk of one or two escaping. Another thing, you MUST, MUST MUST MUST MUST MUST have MORE than just one degu. If you have one degu all by itself, it will die of loneliness. Then you will feel bad. So if your getting a degu, get 2 or 3, or else none at all. Keep your degus happy! |
Diet: | Herbivorous |
Description of Diet: | In the coastal and lower Andes mountains, degus eat mostly simple forms of plant life and tubers. They do not eat anything with sugar in it. Because of this they have evolved in such a way that they are not capable of assimilating glucose into their systems. It is as if they are diabetic. The best food for them will not contain any sugar. Guinea pig food is a good idea with the occasional carrot. Hay blocks, timothy hay and alfalfa is also very good for them. Sweet potatoes are good as are other yellow vegetables. I have read that potato skins and roots are very toxic to them so make sure that when you give them sweet potatoes that there are no signs of roots or skin, only the yellow stuff itself. Nuts such as sun flower seeds and peanuts should only be given as a treat, if their food has either of these in it, take the time to remove them and give a only a few of them as a treat once a day. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | You do not need to give your degus any other supplements because all the vitamins they need are is their food.
Also for treats, degus love Honey, Vegetable, or berry yogurt drops for small animals from pet stores. It`s a perfect treat!! They love them!! |
Maintenance: | Degus are very active animals, they need care and attention lots of the time. Give your degus toy bird ladders, tubes, branches, and small blankeys. Degus LOVE small blankeys to sleep in, they usually will all cuddle up togetehr in it, make sure to get your degus one!! Degus can be litter trained aswell, but remember, it does take time. You can buy a medium sized litter box, like for ferrets, and ask someone at a pet store what kind of litter to get them. I forget what mine for my degus is called, but you can NEVER EVER get them cat litter, they will eat it (Cause they always like to try litter - silly things!) and the litter will get stuck in their intestines. Then you will have big problems. But just ask someone at a pet store what kind of litter you can use for degus, and they should be able to tell you. |
Some Words on this Species: | Degus are fascinating animals. You can hold them, talk to them, and do lots of stuff with them. My one degu named Taya LOVES to watch movies with us, I will sit on the couch and she will cuddle up in my hands against my chest and just watch. So you could even try watching movies with your degus, but they don`t like to sit still for too long so watch out! Also, DO NOT EVER give any degu to a little child to hold, accidents happen very quickly! When the child is older then you can let her/him hold your degu if you want. But be carefull, degus are VERY fast and if they are frightened, they will dash out of your hands before you can say "Oh no!". So that`s something to watch out for. But degus are very affectionate animals, and it is so amazing when they will talk with you. If you get any degus, love them to death, say good-night and good-morning to them, give them treats, and they will love you back! |
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