Editing Common degu (section)

== Social behavior ==
[[File:Octodon degus -Artis Zoo, Netherlands-8b.jpg|left|thumb|Degus nestling to keep warm at [[Artis Zoo]] in the Netherlands]]

Common degus are highly social. They live in burrows, and, by digging communally, they are able to construct larger and more elaborate burrows than they could on their own.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Ebensperger| first1=L. A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| year=2000| title=Communal burrowing in the hystricognath rodent, ''Octodon degus'': A benefit of sociality?| journal=Behavioural and Ecological Sociobiology| volume=47| pages=365–369|issn=0340-5443|doi=10.1007/s002650050678|issue=5| hdl=10533/172245| s2cid=12859012| hdl-access=free}}</ref> Degus digging together coordinate their activities, forming digging chains.<ref name=Eb2000b>{{Citation| last1=Ebensperger| first1=L. A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| year=2000b| title=Energetics and burrowing behaviour in the semifossorial degu ''Octodon degus'' (Rodentia: Octodontidae)| journal=Journal of Zoology| volume=252| pages=179–186|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2000.tb00613.x|issue=2| hdl=10533/172199| hdl-access=free}}</ref> Females living in the same group have been shown to spontaneously nest communally;<ref name=Eb2002>{{Citation| last1=Ebensperger| first1=L.A.| last2=Veloso| first2=C.| last3=Wallem| first3=P.| year=2002| title=Do female degus communally nest and nurse their pups?| journal=Journal of Ethology| volume=20| pages=143–146|doi=10.1007/s10164-002-0063-x| issn=0289-0771| issue=2| s2cid=38854503}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last1=Ebensperger| first1=L.A.| last2=Hurtado| first2=M.| last3=Lacey| first3=E.| last4=Chang| first4=A.| year=2004| title=Communal nesting and kinship in degus (''Octodon degus'')| journal=Naturwissenschaften| volume=91| pages=391–395| doi=10.1007/s00114-004-0545-5| issn=0028-1042| pmid=15309311| last5=Chang| first5=AT| issue=8| bibcode=2004NW.....91..391E| hdl=10533/175502| s2cid=929721| hdl-access=free}}</ref> they nurse one another's young. They spend a large amount of time on the surface, where they forage for food.<ref name=Eb2000b/> When foraging, their ability to detect predators is increased in larger groups,<ref>{{Citation| last1=Quirici| first1=V.| last2=Castro| first2=R.A.| last3=Oyarzun| first3=J.| last4=Ebensperger| first4=L.A.| year=2008| title=Female degus (''Octodon degus'') monitor their environment while foraging socially| journal=Anim Cogn| volume=11| pages=441–448| doi=10.1007/s10071-007-0134-z| issn=1435-9448| pmid=18214556| issue=3| s2cid=17723026}}</ref> and each animal needs to spend less time in [[wiktionary:vigilance|vigilance]].

Common degus exhibit a wide array of communication techniques.  They have an elaborate vocal repertoire comprising up to 15 different sounds,<ref>{{Citation| last=Long| first=C.V.| year= 2007| title= Vocalisations of the degu (''Octodon degus''), a social caviomorph rodent| journal= Bioacoustics| volume= 16| issue=3| pages= 223–244| issn=0952-4622| doi=10.1080/09524622.2007.9753579| s2cid=84569309}}</ref> and the young need to be able to hear their mother's calls if the emotional systems in their brains are to develop properly.<ref>{{Citation| last1=Ziabreva |first1=I. |last2=Schnabel |first2=R. |last3=Poeggel |first3=G. |last4=Braun |first4=K. | year=2003 |title=Mother's voice "buffers" separation-induced receptor changes in the prefrontal cortex of ''Octodon degus'' |journal=Neuroscience | volume=119 | pages=433–441| doi=10.1016/S0306-4522(03)00123-4| issue=2| pmid=12770557|s2cid=28635328 }}</ref> They use their [[urine]] to [[territorial marking|scent mark]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Kleiman |first=D.G. |title=The Biology of Hystricomorph Rodents |year=1974 |editor-last=Rowlands |editor-first=I. W. |editor-last2=Weir |editor-first2=B. J. |chapter=Patterns of behaviour in hystricomorph rodents |place=London |publisher=Academic Press |lccn=74005683}}</ref> and experiments have shown that they react to one another's marks,<ref>{{Citation| last1=Fischer| first1=R.| last2=Meunier| first2=G.| year=1985| title=Responses to conspecifics' urine by the degu ''Octodon degus''| journal=Physiological Behaviour| volume=34| pages=999–1001| doi=10.1016/0031-9384(85)90027-7| pmid=4059390| issue=6| s2cid=27846946}}</ref> although in males the hormone [[testosterone]] may suppress their sense of smell somewhat.<ref>{{Citation| last1=Jechura| first1=T.| last2=Walsh| first2=J. | first3=T.| year=2003| title=Testosterone suppresses circadian responsiveness to social cues in the diurnal rodent ''Octodon degus''| journal=Journal of Biological Rhythms| volume=18| pages=43–50| doi=10.1177/0748730402239675| pmid=12568243| last3=Lee| issue=1| s2cid=40262270| doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[File:Degu father.JPG|thumb|Male degu keeping newborn pups warm]]
Common degus are seasonal breeders; the breeding season for wild degus begins in the Chilean autumn when day and night are roughly equal,<ref>{{Citation| last1=Ebensperger| first1=L.A.| last2=Caiozzi| first2=A.| year=2002| title=Male degus, ''Octodon degus'', modify their dustbathing behaviour in response to social familiarity of previous dustbathing marks| journal=Revista Chilena de Historia Natural| volume=75| pages=157–163| doi=10.4067/S0716-078X2002000100015| issn=0716-078X| doi-access=free}}</ref> with pups born in early to mid-spring.<ref>{{Citation| last1=Bozinovic| first1=F.| last2=Bacigalupe| first2=L.| last3=Vasquez| first3=R.| last4=Visser| first4=H.| last5=Veloso| first5=C.| last6=Kenagy| first6=G.| year=2004| title=Cost of living in free-ranging degus (''Octodon degus''): Seasonal dynamics of energy expenditure| journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A| volume=137| pages=597–604| doi=10.1016/j.cbpb.2003.11.014| pmid=15123196| issue=3}}</ref> Female degus are pregnant for approximately ninety days,<ref name=Woods1975>{{Citation| last1=Woods| first1=C.| last2=Boraker| first2=D.| url=http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-067-01-0001.pdf| date=21 November 1975| title=''Octodon degus''| journal=Mammalian Species| issue=67|pages=1–5| doi=10.2307/3503820| jstor=3503820| s2cid=253992625}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last1=Brown| first1=C.| last2=Donnelly| first2=T.| year=2001| title=Cataracts and reduced fertility in degus (''Octodon degus''): Contracts secondary to diabetes mellitus| journal=Lab Animal | volume=30| pages=25–26| issn=0093-7355}}</ref> having a comparatively long gestation period compared to other non-caviomorph rodents. Female pregnant weight varies over the course of gestation and according to litter size;<ref name=Long2009>{{Citation| last1=Long| first1=C.V.| last2=Ebensperger| first2=L.A.| year=2009| title=Pup growth rates and breeding female weight changes in two populations of captive bred degus (''Octodon degus''), a precocial caviomorph rodent| journal=Reprod Domest Anim.| volume=45| issue=6| pages=975–82| doi=10.1111/j.1439-0531.2009.01470.x| issn=0936-6768 | pmid=19497026}}</ref> litters contain an average of six pups,<ref name=Eb2002/> but size can range from one or two up to twelve young.<ref name=Long2009/> Common degu pups are born relatively [[precocial]], fully furred and with eyes open, and their [[auditory system|auditory]] and [[visual system]]s are functional at birth.<ref>{{Citation| last1=Reynolds| first1=T.| last2=Wright| first2=J.| year=1979| title=Early postnatal physical and behavioural development of degus (''Octodon degus'')| journal=Lab Animal | volume=13| pages=93–9| doi=10.1258/002367779780943576| issue=2| pmid=480906| s2cid=22769488| doi-access=free}}</ref> Unlike most other rodents, male common degus also take part in protecting and raising their pups until they are old enough to leave the family.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exoticnutrition.com/breeding-degus.aspx|title=Breeding Degus|website=Exoticnutrition.com|access-date=20 May 2019}}</ref>

Unlike some other [[octodontidae|octodontids]], common degus are [[diurnality|diurnal]]<ref name=Kenagy2002>{{Citation| last1=Kenagy| first1=G.| last2=Nespolo| first2=R.| last3=Vasquez| first3=R.| last4=Bozinovic| first4=F.| year=2002| title=Daily and seasonal limits of time and temperature to activity of degus| journal=Revista Chilena de Historia Natural| volume=75| pages=567–581| doi=10.4067/S0716-078X2002000300008| issn=0716-078X| issue=3| doi-access=free}}</ref> (active during the day), and they have good vision. Their [[retina]]s include [[rod cell]]s and two types of [[cone cell]]s, corresponding to peak sensitivity in the green and [[ultraviolet]] regions of the [[Electromagnetic spectrum|spectrum]].<ref>{{Citation| last1=Cha'vez| first1=A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| last3=Peich| first3=F.| last4=Palacios| first4=A.| year=2003| title=Retinal spectral sensitivity, fur coloration and urine reflectance in the genus ''Octodon'' (Rodentia): Implications for visual ecology| journal=Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science| volume=44| pages=2290–2296| doi=10.1167/iovs.02-0670| issue=5| pmid=12714673| doi-access=free}}</ref> Behavioral experiments have shown that degus are able to discriminate ultraviolet light from the wavelengths visible to humans; it is likely that this ultraviolet sensitivity has a social function, since both their [[wiktionary:ventral|ventral]] (stomach) fur and their [[urine]] are highly UV reflective.<ref>{{Citation| last1=Palacios| first1=A.| last2=Bozinovic| first2=F.| year=2003| title=An "enactive" approach to ingtegrative and comparative biology: Thoughts on the table| journal=Biol. Res.| volume=36| pages=101–105| doi=10.4067/S0716-97602003000100008| issn=0716-9760| pmid=12795209| issue=1| doi-access=free}}</ref>