Degus are quite unusual animals; their behavior is unlike any other. Thanks to their activity and friendliness, they have earned the love of many breeders. If you decide to purchase a degu, be sure to decide on the gender, because boys and girls have some differences. And so that you are not deceived when purchasing, it is important to learn how to correctly determine the sex of a degu.
Why is it important to determine the sex of degus?
One of the main reasons why it is necessary to be able to distinguish between genders is the possible pregnancy of a girl in the future. Especially if you buy a pair of baby squirrels.
Important! When buying a pair, be sure to make sure that the individuals are of the same sex, unless you plan to raise degu offspring.
There are often cases when two same-sex individuals are purchased, but they end up being of different sexes, and pregnancy occurs.
If you don’t want such surprises, be sure to check the floor yourself and don’t rely on the seller’s words. It is also important to determine the gender due to some characteristics of each of them. So, girls are calmer than males. However, if you put two girls in the same cage, they can often “quarrel”.
What to name a girl
It is better to choose an affectionate name for a girl. The female can be called:
- Dasha;
- Sonya;
- Lucy;
- Shusha;
- Yulka;
- Julia;
- Mira;
- Kate.
Interesting! Some owners pronounce many nicknames and wait until the pet reacts to one of them. Thus, the rodent independently chooses a suitable name.
Distinguishing a boy from a girl degu is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The main thing is care and careful handling of the rodent.
How to correctly determine the sex of a Chilean squirrel
Remember that degus do not like careless movements, so when determining sex, handle the animal with extreme caution. If during this period it receives severe stress, it may get sick and even die.
When inspecting, follow the rules:
In general, treat it very carefully. It is better to entrust the manipulation to the breeder, because the pet is already accustomed to it and is not afraid. You, in turn, can only conduct an inspection.
By appearance
You will not be able to determine the gender based on this feature. Individuals have the same color and do not have characteristic external features. Size and weight also vary depending on genetic data, living conditions, care, nutrition and other factors.
Important! It is impossible to determine the sex of a degu by appearance.
What sexual characteristics do individuals have?
The degu's genitals are located in the abdominal cavity and are not visible upon examination. They are visible only during female estrus and mating. Therefore, it will not be possible to distinguish individuals by their genitals.
On a note! Some people mistake the degu's cone-shaped appendage for the male's genital organ, but both sexes have this appendage .
The only way to distinguish a boy from a girl is to examine the abdomen. In its lower part there is a cone-shaped process and the urethra. In males and females they are located at different distances from each other. In the female, the process and the canaliculus are located very close, in males there is a distance between them the size of the width of a thumb.
Important points
When determining the sex of your degu, pay attention to the following points:
Do not pick up the degu from above - it may get scared. Always handle the rodent from the side so it can see your hand.
Do not turn your degu over or put him on his back - he will not like this and may become aggressive.
Do not pull the degu's tail upward with force - you will only need to slightly lift the tail to see the distance from the anus to the canal.
As you can see, the most important thing in all these manipulations is not to scare your pet and to be as careful as possible, because any rough and sudden movement can discourage the degu from getting to know you for a long time.
Can individuals of different sexes live together?
It is not advisable to keep individuals of different sexes together . Degus reach puberty at a fairly early age, but they are not yet ready to give birth during this period. Early pregnancy will lead to a delay in the development of the female, and the offspring will be weak, sick, and the babies may be stillborn.
For a quiet life of degus of different sexes, it is better to keep them in different enclosures. Moreover, under natural conditions, males and females live separately.
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Getting offspring
Adults are considered to be degus that have reached one year of age. However, squirrels that are only 50 days old can begin the mating process. For this to happen, the animals must be on good terms with each other. If the owner wants his pet to produce offspring, he needs to take care of a suitable pair in advance. You need to purchase an individual of the opposite sex and place it with the animal that already lives at home.
You should carefully observe the behavior of the couple, because it is possible that the female and male may not get along with each other. In this case, one of them may show aggression towards their partner.
If the animals do not fight and treat each other favorably, offspring can be expected. It is recommended to remove objects from the cage that could injure the pregnant squirrel or the babies she gives birth to. These include shelves with food and a wheel.
Individuals close in blood are not suitable for mating, since the squirrels may be born weak and sick. The most suitable partners are those who are six months old. After birth, the male is placed in a separate cage. This is done to prevent re-mating. The female is ready to bear a fetus and give birth no more than once a year.
How to determine the sex of a degu?
Degu is a Chilean squirrel common in South America. The animal weighs only 300 grams and grows up to 20 cm in length. In recent years, degus have become popular for breeding and pet keeping.
Children love this animal very much. For them, he becomes a true friend and teaches them to bear the responsibility of caring for a small living creature.
During the game, the child learns to care for, feed, and train the degu. Before purchasing an animal, it is important to determine the gender. By nature, males are more friendly. They quickly get used to their owners and become tame.
Loneliness does not frighten degus at all. They lead a moderate, quiet life, obedient and trainable. Girls tend to be more capricious.
Squirrel habitat
Squirrels cannot be confidently called territorial animals. Based on this feature, two types of squirrels are distinguished: resident and migratory. Sedentary squirrels occupy a certain habitat, be it parks, squares, certain areas of the area, and even city landfills. They live in this area constantly, feed, build nests and raise offspring. Migratory squirrels are in constant migration, moving from one territory to another. Often such migration is caused by forest fires. They can be easily distinguished from sedentary ones by the worn fur on the inside of their paws.
Squirrel weight is 200–400 grams. The length is approximately 30 centimeters, and the squirrel’s tail is equal to the length of the body. The color shades of squirrels depend on their habitat, but generally in summer the squirrel is fiery red, in autumn and spring it is reddish-gray, and in winter it changes its red-gray fur to a fluffy gray coat. It is with the onset of cold weather and the change of fur that the hunt for squirrels begins.
Of course, squirrel fur cannot be compared with the fur of marten, beaver or sable, from which large items (fur coats, hats, coats) are made. But nevertheless, it is quite valuable and is usually used to trim linings or collars. Unlike mink, squirrels in Russia are not raised in captivity for fur, and the influx of their skins to the market comes from hunters - both amateurs and commercial hunters.
Why do you need to determine gender?
In order to place animals together at home, it is necessary to distribute the rodents by gender. Each cell contains only representatives of one sex. During the breeding season, breeders place animals together.
First, females and males get to know each other. After some time, they begin the mating process.
In the wild, April and May are the best breeding seasons for Chilean squirrels. At home, degu breeding is carried out under the control of the breeder. The most important thing is to wait until physiological maturity in both animals.
Reproduction of squirrels
Squirrels generally have 1-2 litters; in the southern regions there are also 3. The interval between litters is approximately 13 weeks. The breeding season depends on climatic conditions, food availability, and population size. It usually starts in late January or early March and lasts until July-August. At this time, 3-6 males stay near the female. They behave aggressively towards each other, purr loudly, hit branches with their paws, and run after each other. The female chooses one of them, after which she builds a nest for the brood.
External differences of rodents
Externally, male and female degus are very similar. By their nature, females are noticeably larger. It all depends on genes. Males and females have the same coat color and the same hair density. The reproductive organs are located in the peritoneum and become visible closer to the age of maturation. The girl has a hole from which the heat is released. It occurs in female degus at the age of 4 months.
The male gains weight during the breeding season. His abdomen enlarges and his testes become closer to his scrotum. The cloaca and urethra are covered by the tail. In the first case, the organ is located closer to the tail, and the channel is hidden under it.
External differences of degus
The animal will perceive the action as aggression. This is the only way to determine the sex of a squirrel. Thus, the young animals are distributed immediately. Children can be separated from their mother at the age of one and a half months.
Until this time, the puppies eat milk and after two weeks they go through the process of adaptation to external food. The male is placed with the offspring and begins to raise the babies.
Why is the sex of animals determined?
To bring the keeping of Chilean squirrels at home closer to life in nature, it is necessary to separate the animals by gender. In one cage there are individuals of the same sex, only females or only males. Planting is carried out during the breeding season.
Under natural conditions, this time falls in April-May or September-October. Reproduction at home depends on the owner. The main thing is that both the male and the female reach sexual and physiological maturity.
Puberty in females occurs at 12-16 weeks. Males have a later development. They are capable of insemination at the age of 16 weeks. If individuals are in the same cage, then the female may undergo an early pregnancy, which is undesirable for both her and future offspring.
Early pregnancy slows down the physiological development of squirrels. Her reproductive organs and organs of all vital systems develop poorly. She is gaining weight poorly and has low immunity. Such individuals do not live long. Offspring during early pregnancy are often nonviable. Puppies may be born dead.
By keeping females and males separately, the development of animals can be controlled. It is recommended to plant them together at the age of 10 months. By this time, the squirrel’s body will be completely ready for fertilization, bearing offspring, and nursing the young after birth. In addition, planting is carried out during the female’s estrus period. At this time she becomes more flexible.
Sex determination in degus is important in order to bring the existence of individuals closer to natural conditions of existence, to avoid early pregnancy in squirrels, to control the reproduction of individuals. Pet owners often do not know how to identify a boy and a girl degu. They post photos of animals and ask experts for their opinions.
They will begin to defend themselves: biting and scratching, inflicting wounds on their owner. Injuries do not heal for a long time. The hand is very swollen. How to distinguish degus by gender in this case:
- motivate the squirrel to jump onto your palm. They attract her with treats;
- holding her by the stomach, slightly raise her tail;
- 2 organs are detected. Closer to the tail is the cloaca. Below it is the urethra. It has a cone shape. Both females and males have the same cone size and shape. This is not a distinguishing feature;
- determine the distance between the cloaca and the canal;
- in females they are nearby;
- in a boy, the distance between the organs is more than 1 cm;
- There is no need to examine them; you should not look for the vaginal opening in females either. It is hidden under the skin: it opens only during estrus. Squirrels come into heat every 17-25 days.
This method is the only one for determining a degu boy and a girl. It is used for young animals immediately after birth. Puppies can be weaned from their wet nurse at the age of 1.5 months. Until the age of one month, they feed only on mother's milk; another 2 weeks are required for the deguslets to adapt to plant foods. Both parents teach young animals to eat grass. At this time, the male is placed with his family. He takes part in raising the offspring.
How does seating occur?
A lonely squirrel begins to mark the territory and everything that is located on it. Since she lives alone, the squirrel will try to protect her home from strangers. At the age of ten months, rodents are physiologically prepared for reproduction.
It is forbidden to immediately move a male to a female. As a result of a sudden acquaintance, both animals can experience severe stress. The female will perceive her relative as an enemy and may attack.
If the male is a leader by nature, he may react negatively to the behavior of his new “acquaintance.” He will immediately begin to defend his position and rush into battle. Often, fights escalate into brutal battles, resulting in severe injuries to degus. To prevent such an ending, the owners gradually introduce the animals to each other:
The sex of a newborn baby degu can be determined immediately. Animals are under observation within a month and a half from the moment of birth, since it is during this period that they are separated from their mother. Separating the females from the males will help prevent the female from having an unwanted early pregnancy. In any case, it is important to avoid inbreeding when breeding.
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Tell me boy or girl
Hello, I'm new to wine tasting.
I want to get a degu. But who should you choose - a boy or a girl?
If possible, describe how they differ in behavior? Which ones are more active and which ones are not?
And what are the nuances of the content of one or the other?
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The main thing is that there should be a same-sex couple, males or females - it doesn’t matter, I have 2 males and 2 females in two cages, temperament does not depend on gender, it depends on your luck, especially tame one female and one male, the other two don’t really like to be picked up, the only difference is that the males sing melodiously, the females only squeak, although maybe some girls also sing, mine are just so tuneless
