Understanding 10 Common Degu Behaviors
Degus originated from the slopes of the Andes Mountains and are kept as domestic pets. They are highly demanded among pet enthusiasts because of their unique appearance and curious personalities. Giving them special care will make them your joyful companion over time. Whether you are keeping these little rodents for the first time or are an experienced degu owner, it is essential to understand their behavioral changes and give them the best possible life. You can identify how your little companion feels by understanding some common degu behaviors.
Common Degu Behaviors
Degus are intelligent and social rodents that use body language and behavior to indicate their feelings. It is essential for their caregivers to familiarize themselves with their behaviors, which will help them identify their feelings.
1. Vocalization
Degus have strong vocalization skills. They use different sounds to express their feelings of happiness, aggression, and sadness. They produce different sounds such as chirping, whimpering, squeaking, growling, or teeth chattering. These sounds help you identify when your little companion is in pain or distress.
2. Tail Wagging
Tail movement or wagging is one of the common degu behaviors that they use during fights, mating, or courtship. The movement of their tail indicates whether they want to mate or just do this during the fight. It also shows their defensive posture.
3. Dust Baths
Like other rodents, degu loves to take dust baths. These baths help degu clean their fur and maintain its smoothness. They don’t like water baths because they make their fur wet and take longer to dry. After being soaked with water, the chances of skin infections could also increase. Therefore, they enjoy dust baths to socialize with their fellows and clean their fur.
4. Chewing
Chewing is also one of the common degu behaviors because of their continuously growing incisor teeth. You will find almost every degu chewing different items. Their teeth have unstoppable growth. To prevent them from overgrowth, they need chewy items. In the wild, these rodents chew branches of trees to wear down the teeth.
5. Food Hiding
In their natural habitat, they hide food to survive the chilly cold of winter. They are mostly found digging and hiding food in burrows in their wild habitat. They are habitual to hiding excessive food in burrows and tunnels. Therefore, it is advised not to be surprised by their food-hiding behavior.
6. Digging
Degu are habitual of digging burrows and tunnels. In their natural habitat, they move outside for foraging food. Therefore, a safe place like burrows or tunnels is needed to evade predators and hide food. Those in captivity also need safe bedding material to fulfill their digging habit.
7. Nibble On You
Degu shows affection by nibbling on the skin of their owners or caregivers. Don’t get worried because of their nibbling behavior; it is not a sign of aggression or distress. In their natural habitat, they groom themselves to show affection, while in captivity, they nibble on the skin of their owners, which shows they are feeling happy.
8. Frozen In Fear
Sometimes, degus become frozen in fear because they feel nervous and afraid. They experience such feelings of fear because of unusual grabbing and environmental changes. Therefore, making them feel comfortable and at home is advised. It will eliminate any sense of fear and distress.
9. Scent Marking
The degus have a specific way of leaving messages or marking their territory. Scent marking is one of the common degu behaviors used to mark territory. Sometimes, they urinate to mark the territory or to communicate with their mates.
7. Night Owls
Degu are not strictly nocturnal. They are called night owls because they are diurnal and stay primarily active during the day and early morning hours.
Wrapping Up!
Degus are social, vocal, and unique rodents that show different behaviors. Their distinctive appearance and shape have motivated people to keep them as domesticated pets. Understanding their behaviors can help you better understand what your little companion of joy is feeling. This blog has described common degu behaviors such as vocalization, scent marking, night owls, food hiding, digging, burrowing, and chewing. There is no need to worry about such behaviors because they are common personality behaviors.
