Degus

Ever heard of a degu? Probably not. I didn't know what they were till we got a bunch of them at the shelter this summer. Basically they are little rodents, that look like gerbils only bigger, with brown fur and orange teeth. They are very interesting and make a lot of different sounds, like whistles, squeaks, and the special degu "chuck". Since we have had six at the shelter since the summer and still have four, I did some research and found a lot out about them. First I learned never to pull their tails, because they will fall off. Second, I learned that their average lifespan is 5-8 years! That is the same as the lifespan of a guinea pig. I know that hey like to live in pairs or big groups. I love all their different personalities. We have two girls and two boys at the shelter right now. The girls are named Day and Goo. Get it? Day-goo, degu? They are very curious little girls. They will climb in to my hand now, and try to chew my fingers, but they still don't like being touched much. The boys Pop and Corn, (yep, pop-corn), are a bit more timid. Corn likes to try to escape. Pop likes it when you rub his nose, and in between his little ears. He won't climb into my hand yet, but he will climb into his run about ball for me. The funniest thing is watching them take dust-baths.