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Degu Care Sheet |
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~
nocturnal, arboreal, herbivorous ~
Size:
Degus usually reach
sizes of 6'' body length with another 4-6'' tail. The average
adult weighs in at 200-300 grams, males being larger.
Life Span:
Most of the time around
6 years, but this can be greatly impacted by the amount of sugar
metabolized throughout it's life, and seeing how degus are
highly diabetic, no sugar intake is very crucial.
Cage Size
Think of degus as small
chinchillas. If you aren't familiar with chinchillas, compare
degus with ferrets. They need a cage with a couple levels,
climbing areas, branches, and other resting areas. They require
a pretty elaborate setup, but it's worth it. The minimum cage
requirements for two degus (and they need to be in pairs of at
least two) is 24'' x 18'' and 24'' high.
Temperature
Degus originate from
the west coast of Chile to the Andes Mountains, and because of
their natural origin, they prefer a cooler temperature. Housing
temps should be maintained between 62 and 77 F. ANYTHING OVER
85-90 F CAN BE LETHAL!
Substrate
Cedar and Pine are
poisonous to most rodents, so I would use aspen if you choose to
use anything. Most cages for degus/chins/ferrets have wired
bottoms though. If you use a wire bottom, provide flat areas for
the animal to rest on, so the degu doesn't get bumble foot, and
painful reaction from their feet on wired surfaces. This is why
wheels with a flat running surface are very important to
provide.
Feeding
They are Diabetic! (I'm not finished here...)
IMPORTANT:
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