Common Degu: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Little Mammals · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. Degus dig as a team, lining up in digging chains. Together they build bigger, more complex burrows than any one degu could alone.
2. Degu mothers in a group share a nest and feed each other's babies. And unlike most rodent dads, degu fathers help protect and raise the pups.
3. Degus can see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to us. Their belly fur strongly reflects UV, so this sense probably helps them send signals.
4. In lab tests, degus learned on their own to pull seeds closer with a tiny rake. Only apes and birds had been seen doing this before.
5. Degus are chatty, using up to 15 different sounds. Pups need to hear their mother's calls for their brains to develop properly.

The quiz

1. How do degus work together when digging?

• Each digs alone in secret
• They let birds dig for them
• They form digging chains (correct)
• They only dig at night in winter

Degus coordinate their digging, forming chains to build bigger burrows.

2. Besides the mother, who helps protect and raise degu pups?

• The father (correct)
• No one
• Lizards
• Neighbouring rabbits

Unlike most rodents, degu fathers help raise their pups.

3. What kind of light can degus see that humans cannot?

• Infrared
• Radio waves
• X-rays
• Ultraviolet (correct)

Degus can tell ultraviolet light apart from the colours humans see.

4. Which tool did degus learn to use in experiments?

• A stone to crack nuts
• A tiny rake to reach seeds (correct)
• A leaf as a cup
• A stick to fish for termites

They learned by themselves to use a tiny rake to reach seeds.

5. How many different sounds can degus make?

• Just 1
• Only 2
• Up to 15 (correct)
• About 100

Their vocal repertoire has up to 15 different sounds.

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