''Octodon'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
octodontid rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
s native to
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
, in particular in the Chilean
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
.
The best-known member is the
common degu
The common degu (''Octodon degus''; ), or, historically, the degu, is a small hystricomorpha rodent endemic to the Chilean matorral ecoregion of central Chile. The name ''degu'' on its own indicates either the entire genus ''Octodon'' or, more ...
, ''O. degus'', which is kept as a pet in various countries. Two of the four species of degus are
nocturnal.
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Classification
This genus was first described in 1832 by the British zoologist Edward Turner Bennett
Edward Turner Bennett (6 January 1797 – 21 August 1836) was an English zoologist and writer. He was the elder brother of the botanist John Joseph Bennett. .
Taxonomy
The genus name ''Octodon'' comes from the Latin ''octo'', eight, with reference to their teeth, molars and premolars having the shape of the number 8.
The full list of species is:
* ''O. bridgesii'', Bridges's degu, found in central Chile
* ''O. degus'', the common degu
The common degu (''Octodon degus''; ), or, historically, the degu, is a small hystricomorpha rodent endemic to the Chilean matorral ecoregion of central Chile. The name ''degu'' on its own indicates either the entire genus ''Octodon'' or, more ...
or degu, found in central Chile
* ''O. lunatus'', the moon-toothed degu, found in central Chile
* ''O. pacificus'', the Pacific degu or Mocha Island degu, found exclusively on Mocha Island, Chile
*''O. ricardojeda'', Ricardo Ojeda's degu, found in western Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
Distribution
In the wild, all species of degus live in the Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
, mainly in the mountains of Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, to which most of them are endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
, aside from a few populations of '' O. ricardojeda'' in the neighboring province of Neuquén
Neuquén (; arn, Nehuenken) is the capital city of the Argentine province of Neuquén and of the Confluencia Department, located in the east of the province. It occupies a strip of land west of the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén river ...
, Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. They are found between 0 and 1,800 m in altitude
Altitude or height (also sometimes known as depth) is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The exact definition and reference datum varies according to the context ...
.
Description
They are medium-sized octodontids. Their total body length varies between 200 and 390 mm, with a tail which measures between 81 and 170 mm and represents 70 to 80% of the head + body length. The coat color is grayish, or dull with orange highlights, and turns creamy yellow on the belly. The tail is carried slightly curved and is the same color as the body, and ends with a tuft of black hairs, with the extent of black depending on the species. The ears are quite large and protrude widely from the head, except in ''O. pacificus'' . The lower limbs are suitable for jumping, with pads on the soles of the paws that prevent slipping. The forelegs have four clawed fingers, along with a poorly developed fifth finger with a nail. The glans
The glans (, plural "glandes" ; from the Latin word for "acorn") is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in male mammals or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in female mammals.
Structure
The exterior structure ...
of the penis
A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males d ...
is characterized by a variable number of spikes
The SPIKES protocol is a method used in clinical medicine to break bad news to patients and families. As receiving bad news can cause distress and anxiety, clinicians need to deliver the news carefully. By using the SPIKES method for introducing a ...
, 5 or more in number, on each side.
Lifestyle
They are both nocturnal and diurnal. Degus are primarily folivorous
In zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less energy than other types of foods, and often toxic compounds.Jones, S., Martin, R., & Pilbeam, D. (1 ...
herbivores. Their diet varies according to annual vegetation cycles. The consumption of their own droppings ( coprophagia) is practiced during times of scarcity. This provides them with a nutritional supplement thanks to the microbial fermentation that takes place in the cecum
The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The wo ...
and optimizes the digestion of fibrous foods.
These social animals dig a burrow made of a series of tunnels where they live in small to large groups composed of both males and females.
Conservation status
'' O. bridgesii'' (assessed as conspecific with '' O. ricardojeda'') is considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...
, while '' O. pacificus'' is considered critically endangered. The other two species are considered of least concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q628979
Rodent genera
Taxa named by Edward Turner Bennett