Common degu
A species of Degus Scientific name : Octodon degus Genus : Degus
Common degu, A species of Degus
Scientific name: Octodon degus
Genus: Degus
Content
Description General Info
Description
The common degu is a small animal with a body length of 25.0 to 31.0 cm (9.8–12.2 in) and a weight of 170 to 400 g (6.0 to 14.1 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 fore feet. Its hind feet are bristled. Its cheek teeth are shaped like figures-of-eight, hence the degu's genus name Octodon. 
General Info
Lifespan
5-8 years
Diet
Principally herbivorous, common degu show a preference for stems, roots, bark, and leaves. Their wide dietary scope includes grasses, legumes, and seeds; supplemented occasionally with small insects.
Appearance
The common degu is a rodent, resembling a large gerbil in size and shape, with a body about 5-6 inches long and a tail of similar length. It has thick bristly fur, primarily brown in color with creamy underparts. Adults have rounded ears and long, constantly growing incisor teeth. No significant differences in appearance occur due to age, gender or subspecies.
Behavior
Common degu is an impressively social and diurnal rodent that engages in mutual grooming and complex burrowing systems. Notably, it demonstrates acoustic communication patterns for predator warnings. Common degu are known to mark their territories using scent secretions from their specialized abdominal glands.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Mammals Order
Gnawing mammals Family
Octodonts and degus Genus
Degus Species
Common degu 
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