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Post by bouncy on Jul 19, 2017 18:42:05 GMT
I know I've harped on before about how intelligent degus are. I've always thought rodents very smart, and the goos were amongst the cleverest I've seen. I then came across a research article using degus. The work wasn't specifically focussed on goos, but they noticed that the degus spontaneously started stacking objects in size order, something only historically witnessed with some birds and apes. Note the spontaneity. Historically, animals have been taught things, but acting unprompted is a huge thing.
I've noticed some fantastic demonstrations from my lot (mostly Spidergoo), and wanted to document these instances. Because of this, and the spontaneous nature of the actions, updates will be sporadic. Oh, and nothing learned over time, such as Scaredygoo and his drug addiction.
Each demonstration will be recorded as an individual post, and I am going to post the different historic events now!
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Post by bouncy on Jul 19, 2017 19:10:44 GMT
Degu - Spidergoo
Skill - problem solving
I put a completed sudoku book on the floor, which was three editions bound into one. Spidey tried dragging it up the ramp, but failed. After a couple of days, he returned to the same book and turned some pages over until he got to another cover. He then chewed down the spine of the book until it fell into the original three books that he was used to, and dragged each in individually.
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Post by bouncy on Jul 19, 2017 19:15:43 GMT
Degu - all
Skill - time awareness
When I get back late and let the goos out, I allow the boys out, but only a quick half hour for each group. I'm under no illusion that they hear me telling them only half an hour freedom. Each group enthusiastically jumps out of the open door, before taking itself back in after around 30 minutes for me to just shut the door.
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Post by bouncy on Jul 19, 2017 19:24:26 GMT
Degu - Spidergoo
Skill - problem solving of leverage
Spidey tried to take in a cardboard tube 100cm long. He tried a few times to take it up the ramp, but lost control of it at the top when he dropped into the tray. Everyone remember the videos of him holding on for dear life, then chasing it back down the ramp? He progressed to getting it into a standing position next to the door and lifting it (and failing). He then learned that, by taking it to the cage at a diagonal, he increased his leverage and could lift up the other end to drag it in.
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Post by bouncy on Jul 19, 2017 19:31:21 GMT
Degu - Sausagegoo
Skill - DIY
When Sausagegoo was small, he couldn't see out of the cage without climbing, because of hardboard panels on each door on the outside. He spent about a week chewing the hardboard around and through the mesh (creating a bald spot on his nose) to create a window in the board. Once he could see out from this particular door unrestricted, he stopped!
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Post by bouncy on Jul 19, 2017 19:36:37 GMT
Degu - Spidergoo
Skill - Observation and application
He knows Scaredy has his daily medication, and saw me trying to get him to ditch his nut in the basement to come and get it. Having come up to the bars, seeing the syringe and my attempts to get Scaredy's attention, Spidey ran off to tell him to go up for his drugs and came back afterwards.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2017 19:57:17 GMT
!! Interesting !!
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Post by Emziedee on Jul 19, 2017 22:28:30 GMT
Very clever goos! I especially loved little sausage making a viewing window 😍
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 20, 2017 10:50:48 GMT
Is it OK for us to join in?
Flossie is officially more intelligent that the Pink Panther in getting sticks through doorways. She grabs a stick in her teeth in the middle of the stick for balance, carries it up the ramp forwards, then when she gets to the small doorway at the top of the ramp, she deftly shifts the grasp on the stick to one end while she also turns herself around so she can easily drag it end on through the door. The efficiency of it is incredible.
My girls love to chew sticks. I quite often see them wedge something under the stick a couple of inches from the end so that the end they want to chew is off the ground and the can get their teeth right around it at any angle for maximum chewing pleasure and comfort. (I don't suppose they actually wedge something under the stick, they just lift the stick onto a handy item at the position they want).
I've seen mine chew specific bits of wood to improve access, similar to the window chewing.
When Molly was really poorly, both Flossie and Alice, but especially Flossie (the boss) would regularly go check on her as she rested on the heatpad, and the frequency increased as she deteriorated.
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 20, 2017 10:57:50 GMT
There's loads of things once you start thinking, Flossie biting my toe to get me to move it because it was in her way, Molly tugging my arm to get my attention to give her a treat. The way they bury a first treat in order to come back quickly for a second one.
Has anyone thought about recreating the tool use experiment that degus famously worked out? I think they had food under a mesh that the degus couldn't reach, but they provided a rake like object to use to pull the food out.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 11:01:09 GMT
There's a similar experiment done with parrots I shared the link on Facebook the other day.
Pinky is intelligent too. We left the cage open all night remember and they got out, stayed (I presume) in the goo room all night as they must have been able to tell we weren't about, then once we were up in the morning, in the living room, she ran straight from the goo room to the living room (which is through two halls and the kitchen, all in a line) sat on the rug in front of me, waited until I saw her, then walked all the way back to the goo room in a straight line. Baring in mind they've never walked that walk before. Been carried about sure but never on the floor free roam. Obviously did it to let me know and to help them back in to their home, as they couldn't get in themselves!
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Post by darthchinchi on Jul 20, 2017 12:36:12 GMT
Might be this group of rodents? They may need certain problem solving skills as food is not abundant?
This makes me think of my girl Mystique (chinchilla).
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Post by bouncy on Jul 20, 2017 14:40:33 GMT
I read about the rake thing - wondered if they needed the tools, as Spidey has a surprisingly long reach!
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Post by bouncy on Jul 21, 2017 23:00:39 GMT
Degu - Squidgygoo
Skill - problem solving
When he was living alone, he managed a couple of adventures around the worktop and kitchen sink. Since then, he's had a longing to return. Tonight, he climbed onto my lap as normal and ran around a bit. He then came back again, looked at my shoulder, jumped up onto it, and continued to spring up to his goal!
Think I'm going to have to start sitting in the middle of the kitchen instead of against a cupboard.
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Post by fb1928 on Jul 22, 2017 18:46:24 GMT
This is a very interesting thread bouncy. Good idea, love looking at new ideas to challenge and stimulate our Degus minds... I do agree Degus are very intelligent, I'm sure even more intelligent then they let on, I'm sure they are planning to take over the world secretly 😆. I love the one about Sausagegoo creating a hole in th board so he could see. Chewy has done similar before a while ago, he had cardboard guards around the bottom edges to keep the mess in and he created a window so he could see when he sat in his favourite spot. Look forward to hearing more and hoping to try a few of these out on ours
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Post by fb1928 on Jul 22, 2017 18:50:00 GMT
Also like the one about spidergoo with the tube. They do seem to be very clever when it comes to problem solving. Ours have had the task of trying to fit a kitchen roll tube into their house, it doesn't take them long to learn they need to turn it around it is doesn't fit in sideways... Very funny to watch
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Post by bouncy on Jul 22, 2017 20:07:28 GMT
There's a similar experiment done with parrots I shared the link on Facebook the other day. Pinky is intelligent too. We left the cage open all night remember and they got out, stayed (I presume) in the goo room all night as they must have been able to tell we weren't about, then once we were up in the morning, in the living room, she ran straight from the goo room to the living room (which is through two halls and the kitchen, all in a line) sat on the rug in front of me, waited until I saw her, then walked all the way back to the goo room in a straight line. Baring in mind they've never walked that walk before. Been carried about sure but never on the floor free roam. Obviously did it to let me know and to help them back in to their home, as they couldn't get in themselves! I had a gerbil like this. A tube came apart (they're in the living room). 3am I woke up to gerbil foot stamping on the floor next to my head. When I moved, he pitter-pattered to the foot of the bed and stamped again. Sat up, and he moved over to the doorway and repeated. Threw back the duvet, and he moved off stopping long enough to stamp again in the living room doorway. Followed Mutley, who was sat by the cage waiting for me to fix the tube and pop him back. Batfink, on the other hand..........
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 23, 2017 13:13:49 GMT
I love these two stories Makes me think of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo even though Im' pretty sure I've never even seen it. If only my degus trusted me enough to come to ask me for help, I don't think Flossie could swallow enough pride to ask me for help!
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Post by bouncy on Jul 24, 2017 15:36:57 GMT
I love these two stories Makes me think of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo even though Im' pretty sure I've never even seen it. If only my degus trusted me enough to come to ask me for help, I don't think Flossie could swallow enough pride to ask me for help! I'm sure you saw Lassie and Gentle Ben
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Post by moletteuk on Jul 24, 2017 17:41:03 GMT
Definitely remember Lassie and The Littlest Hobo I think Littlest Hobo had a good/ catchy theme tune. Don't think I remember Gentle Ben, although it sounds familiar.
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