This wiki is a source for everything degu-related, written for and by degu owners.
What is a degu exactly? Pronounced Day-Goo, they are of the sub-order Cavimorph (sub to rodents) considered to be a cross between a guinea pig and a chinchilla (both also Cavimorphs), with a small bit of rabbit (Lagomorphs, which is a separate order to rodents) thrown in for good measure. A degu is a pest from Chile. They are also a species in their own right who just share traits with the aforementioned other species of animal. More recently they became research subjects because of their intolerance to sugar and susceptibility to Diabetes, but if you're here it's because to you they're a cute pet to own. Degus have a long lifespan compared to most pets, largely due to the fact that they require so much careful attention and care that their owners tend to make sure they're well looked after, and captive degus have been known to live 16+ years [1]...way longer than their lifespan in the wild (mostly due to predators and their inability to realise that certain foods will kill them over time).
Degus are also highly intelligent compared to most rodents (and it's debated whether degus are even rodents at all). They are also infinitely tameable, and all it takes is a little patience every day and some oats or other treats to train them to do all sorts of stuff. Degus are also incredibly diverse and much like other pets there are so many things that will surprise you when you see your degu doing it
Degus are also highly social animals and they live in their HUNDREDS in the wild. If you own a single degu without good reason and you have no intention of purchasing another to keep them company (and the "single degu" article hasn't swayed your opinion), please leave this wiki now...you're not welcome!
Planned additions - Stuff that will be added to this wiki in future
Useful websites - If the information provided here isn't enough or you want more information, check these sites out!
Activity - Want to see what's been going on in the wiki?
Index - Everything sorted into a nice list...or at least it will be when we have more content
If you would like to make additions to this wiki, please first read this page before doing so unless you're just making minor changes
Also, here's a list of staff members at Happy Degu
Red links WILL be fixed in future, please ignore them for now...they're just placeholders for future articles that have yet to be included!
References[]
- ↑ The record for oldest degu in captivity is over 16 years...no other degu is on record as living this long, obviously