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Post by Andrea on May 30, 2006 18:46:53 GMT -4
Hi Everyone,
I have just picked up 5 young Degus that were dropped off in a tupperware container at a local animal shelter. :rolleyes:
They will be in my care until we can line up loving forever homes for them through SARS BC (www.smallanimalrescue.org) the oganization i volunteer with.
I've not owned Degus myself, but have read a bit about their care, and cared for friends who own them.
I would like to sex these Degus ASAP, so to help prevent any un-needed litters. Could someone please link me or post some good pictures of the differences of Male & Female degus when they are young?
Other good Degu links are very welcome also.
THANK YOU!
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Post by Die Fledermaus on May 30, 2006 19:51:30 GMT -4
Go to degus.org. Wish someone would leave some degus around here for me. >> This illustration shows you the difference between a male and a female degu. As you can see, male degus have their posterior further from the urine opening than the female degus have. That's the main sign by which you can separate them at a young age. When a male degu has grown up, there is no problem to separate him from a female. Usually, the male degus are bigger than female ones. Females grow up sexually sometimes already as small as 6 weeks old, but it can take as long as a year. It often happens that the father fecundates his daughter, so you should not keep the puppies with their parents for a very long time. Males grow up later than females sexually. Sometimes the males grow up sexually after a couple of months, but sometimes a pair of degus will not have their first litter until they are 2 years old or later. When the degus are mating, they produce a strange sound and move their tails around. << degus.org/english/rozm_.htmDon't you sex them the same way as other rodents, or do they have different parts?!  |
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Post by Andrea on May 30, 2006 20:04:09 GMT -4
Don't you sex them the same way as other rodents, or do they have different parts?! LOL... Well they are pretty young so no testicals on the boys yet. I did sex them and there is 2 boys and 3 girls, and they are ALL SO sweet and friendly, two even jumped right into my hands. I have seperated the boys from the girls, and given them food/water/hay a box to hide in and some dust bath which they are really enjoying. I'm getting ready here to make a couple hammocks for them... hope my Honey didn't want these jeans  |
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Post by Die Fledermaus on May 30, 2006 21:20:45 GMT -4
We await photos.
The spacing between the urethral and anal openings always seems to be the same concept. And even young ones (if female) have often visible nipple lines. Sometimes younger testicles can be discloed by gently squeezing around them, but don't do it too much - unless he likes it.
Do you sex them by holding by the tail base, or around the middle, or what??
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Post by pinky on May 30, 2006 21:26:19 GMT -4
As your sig states, you're changing the world for those five little critters. Hats off to you!  Till recently I had no idea that rodents were abandoned with such frequency. . .  |
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Post by Andrea on May 30, 2006 21:45:47 GMT -4
We await photos. The spacing between the urethral and anal openings always seems to be the same concept. And even young ones (if female) have often visible nipple lines. Sometimes younger testicles can be discloed by gently squeezing around them, but don't do it too much - unless he likes it. Ya, i'm noticing that now also. I'm not real big fan of nut squishing LOL... even if they like it! LOL (oh and i SO have a story that goes along with that) I let them sit on my hand, then i just hold the base of the tail and lift up a bit, dosn't faze them at all. |
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Post by Andrea on May 30, 2006 21:50:32 GMT -4
As your sig states, you're changing the world for those five little critters. Hats off to you! Till recently I had no idea that rodents were abandoned with such frequency. . . <hugs> Thanks Isn't it sad? Most of the time it's b/c someone ended up with to many b/c they didn't want to or didn't know how to seperate by sexes, another popular one is Mom is teaching the kids "the miracle of birth"... then the miracle of making the animals disapear. "I'm moving & can't take the Hamster" ... that has to be my favorite excuse, it's said almost everyday.  |
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Post by Die Fledermaus on May 30, 2006 21:51:31 GMT -4
Lifting the tail is exactly how I do it with Spiny Mice; their tails are too fragile to pick them up by them. The problem is some have no tails owing to biting.
>> (oh and i SO have a story that goes along with that) <<
If you can't tell it here PM me not with the story but just about another way to post it in a more hidden maner. I will tell you.
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Post by Andrea on May 30, 2006 23:09:02 GMT -4
It's not actually "that" bad, but it is funny, and well embarasing for me LOL I used to work with Horses alot, I took & taught lessons and stuff like that. Anyways there was this beautiful Warmblood Stallion at one of the barns i rode at, the guy who owned him only took him out for breeding, other then that the poor horse was locked in a stall. i felt bad for him, so every day I was down there I would brush him and give him attention. One day i'm brushing him, and I hear "Thump, Thump", and I look around but can't see anything, I continue brushing him, and I can STILL hear this "thump, Thump" sound, so I call my friend over and ask her "what's that sound", She can't hear it, I go to brushing and there's the sound again, So i kinda look at the horse, hear the sound again and back up.... Let's just say i must have magic hands? This Horse REALLY liked me! I was outta that stall SO quick. What really sad is I had the same thing happen again but with a friends gelding later on. So ya I "don't do it to much, EVEN if they like it" LOL  (PS- the owner of the horse ended up going to jail and all his animals were sold, so hopefully the Stallion (Kamen s/p) went to a happier home. |
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Post by pinky on May 30, 2006 23:33:53 GMT -4
Very funny story! ;D
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Post by Die Fledermaus on May 30, 2006 23:36:55 GMT -4
So much for equine love. What about people? |
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