Animalscaretips
Baby degus are large and numerous (3-8 pups to a litter), which can often lead to birthing complications. The gestation period is 90 days, and it often difficult to tell that a female is pregnant until the last month.
- Do degus eat their babies?
- At what age do degus breed?
- Do female degus have periods?
- When can baby degus leave Mom?
- Is a Degu a good pet?
- Do degus smell bad?
- How long are chinchillas fertile?
- What's a group of degus called?
- How do you tell male and female degus apart?
- What are degus predators?
- How much is a pet Degu?
- Are degus born with hair?
- What do degus like eating?
- How do you take care of baby degus?
- Do chinchillas have a menstrual cycle?
Do degus eat their babies?
Do not separate the father Degu from the babies, he will NOT eat them! It is benificial to the babies and the parents to leave them together as a family.
At what age do degus breed?
Degus are usually fully adult at around 53-55 weeks old22 and at this age are generally fully reproductively competent. The average age of first conception in wild degus is 6 months51 , 52, but this can vary between 45 days to 20 months52!
Do female degus have periods?
Thus, degus have spontaneous and regularly occurring estrous cycles with functional corpora lutea. At consistent intervals, we observed cycles of vaginal patency and heightened locomotor activity typical of estrus in most rodents [20, 31, 32].
When can baby degus leave Mom?
Weaning for degus should take at least four weeks. You should not separate the babies from the mother before they are four weeks old.
Is a Degu a good pet?
A degu can make an excellent pet for older children and adults. Degus are social animals that can be tamed easily and will form a bond with you. Contrary to most pocket pets, like hamsters and chinchillas, the degu is active during the day. It can also adjust it's sleeping habits to your own lifestyle.
Do degus smell bad?
So, do Degus smell? They do, but while noticeable, their smell is innocuous, and they smell far less than other rodents such as Hamsters. Like with all animals that are kept in cages, any foul odors often depend on the cleanliness of the cage.
How long are chinchillas fertile?
While females can reach maturity in as little as 4-5 months most breeders recommend holding off to breed your chinchilla until she is at least one year of age.
What's a group of degus called?
They cooperate to dig extensive underground living quarters, which have dozens of tunnels leading to an assortment of different compartments. There are nurseries, bed rooms, and food stores, and all members of the colony work together in groups called digging chains to remove soil to create new chambers and tunnels.
How do you tell male and female degus apart?
Locate your degu's genital area. Here you will find both the anal and urethral openings in both males and females. The primary difference between the sexes is the distance between the urethral cone and anus. In females, the distance between these organs is very small - just a few millimeters.
What are degus predators?
They are most frequently preyed upon by raptors5, black-chested buzzards19 , 52 , barn owls52 , short-eared owls52 and culpeo foxes5 , 19 . Historic archaeological data has even shown humans have hunted and eaten degus in the recent past19!! Degus are always on the lookout for predators when outside their burrows.
How much is a pet Degu?
Breeders and pet stores usually have domestic-bred degus for sale. They cost $25 to $100.
Are degus born with hair?
Female degus also have a postpartum estrus which means that the male can impregnate the female soon after birth. ... Take care to make sure fighting does not occur when reintroducing the male. Babies are born with fur, teeth, and open ears and eyes. They start eating solid food at around 7 days old.
What do degus like eating?
Degus should have constant access to good quality hay. Hay is much more important than commercial degu nuggets and should constitute the majority of the degus diet. A small measured portion of degu nuggets and some leafy vegetables should also be part of their daily diet.
How do you take care of baby degus?
Degus, like chinchillas, need to take dust baths. These dust baths help to keep your degus' fur healthy and clean. Provide your degus with a dust bath at least twice a week. You can use a store-bought dust bath or a large bowl with high sides.
Do chinchillas have a menstrual cycle?
They are seasonally polyestrous from November to May with an estrous cycle of 30-50 days.
