Degu aka Chilean Squirrel or Giant Gerbils at Science Camp

Degu are also known as Chilean Squirrels and Giant Gerbils. They are similar to our chipmunk. Chances are you have not seen wild degus before. This is because they are from Chile. They are for the most part confined to one area in Chile where they are abundant. They inhabit the west coast area from the plains up into the Andes mountains to about 1.5 km of elevation. This elevation is similar to that of Denver, except a little lower. They live in large colonies and are said to be very social. In their "society" their position seems to be affected by the size of the mound of sticks and other stuff on the top of their burrows. The bigger the mound the higher their position in society. If a degu's mound were to be lost, it would lose it's position in society. The way they live is similar to prairie dogs in north America. Like prairie dogs they are considered to be agricultural pests. This information is from www.degus.com

At Cub Creek Science Camp we have a small colony of Degus. They are curious animals and love to play on the toys in their cage. Every year at Science Camp campers adopt these small creatures for a week and learn how to care for them. We usually have baby Degus several times during the year. They have a 90 day gestation period which is a long time for a small rodent. These babies would be available for permanent adoption by our campers.