The scientific name for the Degu is Octodon degus. They can originally be found in South America. They hide in caves or in dark places in rocks. Thier habitat in the classroom is in a cage. They eat dry dog food and bird seeds. In the wild, they eat grasses, seeds, and fruits. Thier predators are cats,coyotes,and snakes.
The Degus is a day active animal.They are very social animals. In thier original habitat they stay in groups of five to ten adults. That is a big reason for you to have a male and a female.The male degu is sexually mature about six weeks after birth.The female takes a little longer to become sexually active. A litter can be born after 90 days of thier intercourse.You shouldn't inbreed. If you do, the litter will be much smaller. The Degu lives seven to ten years.
The length of the degu is 25-31 cm, thier tail length is 7.5-13 cm. Thier earlength is2.4-3.4 cm. Thier weight is about 170-300 grams. Thier body temp is 37.9 degrees C. They have 58 chromosomes. This is the original animal,domestic animals are smaller due to inbreeding.
They are usually pretty friendly, but they can get very scared. If you choose to get one take very good care of it!
The Degus love to play on running wheels.