EntdeckenSäugetiere

Octodon degus

Degus are small, friendly rodents that love to play and explore. They have soft fur and big eyes, making them adorable pets. They enjoy living in groups and are very social animals!

Lebensraum: Grasslands

Aussehen

The Octodon degus has a compact body covered in brownish-yellow to grey-brown fur, with a paler cream belly. It features relatively large ears, short limbs, and a long tail tipped with a black tuft, distinguishing it from other rodents.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungRodentiaFamilieOctodontidaeGattungOctodon

Octodon degus

Kategorie

Säugetiere

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Wow! Baby degus are born with open eyes and fur, ready to explore their world!

Wow! Degus cannot eat sugary foods because their bodies don't process it well, making them unique!

Wow! Degus make tiny "solar panels" in their skin to get Vitamin D from sunlight!

Wow! Their name "degu" means "rat-fox" in a native language because of their long tails!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Octodon degus can shed its tail if grabbed, like a lizard, which helps them escape from predators.

Octodon degus has special eyes that can see ultraviolet light, helping them find food and recognize others.

Octodon degus can dig complex burrow systems with many tunnels and chambers, providing safe homes for their families.

Maße und Details

Länge: 12-20 cm
Gewicht: 0.17-0.3 kg
Lebenserwartung: 1-8 Jahre
Top Speed: 15 km/h
Wurfgröße: 3-8
Tragzeit: 90 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

These plant-eating rodents munch on leaves, grasses, and seeds found in their dry habitats.

Hauptnahrung

Grasses
Leaves
Seeds
Roots
Bark

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Andean Fox

Lycalopex culpaeus

A key predator, hunting degus in their habitat.

eaten by

Magellanic Horned Owl

Bubo magellanicus

This large owl preys on degus during its nightly hunts.

eats

Rescue brome

Bromus catharticus

Degus primarily graze on this common grass species.

eats

Spiny Mulinum

Mulinum spinosum

They forage on the leaves and stems of this native shrub.

Merkmale

Pelzig

Pelzig beschreibt Tiere, die eine dichte Schicht aus weichen Haaren oder Fell besitzen.

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.

Grasland

Grasland-Lebensräume sind terrestrische Biome, die von Gräsern und krautigen Pflanzen dominiert werden und einer Vielzahl von Weidetieren als Lebensraum dienen.