Post by NightwishRaven999 on Apr 22, 2010 7:27:01 GMT
Simulating the degu's natural habitat
* This article is mainly for those who are in the process of building a degu cage, or are planning to build one in the near future. For reasons that will be stated in this article, simulating the degu's natural habitat is nearly impossible in a wire/metal cage.
To start off, I would just like to say that trying to simulate your degus wild habitat, will not contribute to their level of hapiness.
Degus can be just as happy and healthy in a metal cage filled with colourful toys and such.
On the other hand, trying to recreate a piece of nature in the degu cage can be very fun and rewarding. Not only does it look great, but the degus will also feel more "at home" in such a setup. Trying to create the perfect, natural looking setup requires some amount of research into the degu's wild habitat and the various things they do (ex: climb, burrow, forage)
So how can you recreate the degu's natural habitat ?
First, we need to do a bit of reading on degus. Anyone who has basic knowledge on degus will know that they live in elevated areas near Chile's mountain chain.
They generally live near rocky outcroppings and steep, bushy hills. Their main activities include running, climbing, digging, chewing and foraging.
This is all the knowledge we need to try and recreate the natural looking habitat or the "perfect setup" for our beloved pets.
Its very important to keep in mind that it is nearly impossile to accuratly recreate a natural habitat. We simply do not have the ressources and room, necessary to achieve such a task.
This does not mean that we simply give up...no. Instead, we should strive to use what we posess to achieve this goal.
The way to go about this is to use the natural elements that can be found or purchased. Rocks, stones and pebbles, digging/burrowing substrate, hay, lots of running space, thick branches, thin branches and wooden logs.
We will briefly consider each of these elements and see how they can be of use in creating the "perfect setup" for our degus.
First of all, rocks/stones/pebbles.
Apart from the two extreme climates (arctic/desert), rocks, stones and pebbles can be found everywhere. They are in the water, on the ground and even deep under the earth.
We can use a wide variety of rocks, or stones to help piece together the natural habitat we want to create.
Large rocks look good near the base of the cage, providing some amount of relief or inclination in the substrate/bedding.
Digging/burrowing substrate.
Ideally dirt, peat, straw and a clay based substrate would be the best digging material.
But lets be reasonable...unless you plan on building a digging box, using organic dirt of soil would be very unpractical, but it would also prove to be very messy.
The best digging materials to use inside the degu cage are Kiln dried pine wood shavings or Aspen wood bedding.
Of course, there are no wood shavings in the wild, but there is the point of practicality vs natural look that we must keep in mind.
In the wild, degus dig deep underground tunnels. On cool nights, they retreat undergound to cuddle up and hide from the cold winds that sweep the elevated mountain side.
We cannot possibly give our degus the digging space they need to create these deep tunnels, but we can satisfy their need to dig and burrow by providing them with a thick layer of bedding.
Not only does this help keep the cage clean, but it also provides them with hours of fun.
* This is nearly impossible to do in a metal/wire cage, since the bedding would quickly get pushed and kicked out the cage bars.
This is one of the reasons why trying to simulate the degu's natural habitat in a wire/metal cage would be impossible and highly unpractical.
Next on the list we have hay.
In the wild, degus consume grass, herbs, plants and flowers.
We dont always have access to herbs, plants or flowers...but we do have access to hay. Hay not only consists of over 50% of the degu's diet, but it also looks natural in the cage.
If you want the natural setup, forget the hay rack.
This would look totally out of place and would shine like a beacon among the other natural items in the cage.
If you are looking to create the natural setup, create large piles of hay on the bottom level of the cage. Dont be afraid to use a lot. The degus will consume it quickly, but it will also provide them with areas to dig, and hide their food in.
Running space...this is the most important reason to build a degu cage. Degus are highly active animals and require lots of running space. Although levels are not natural, we need them. The space we can provide our degus with in captivity, is really quite insignificant compared to the space they use in the wild. For this reason, we need all the surface area we can get to keep them fit and healthy. The best way to achieve this, is by installing several large levels in the cage.
Not only will this give you more space to fit all the toys and accesories but each level can be used for a different purpose.
(example: playground level, eating/drinking/snacking level...etc)
Most importantly though, this will give your degus more space to run and overall, increase their hapiness.
Branches and logs.
Degus comes from areas with lots of small trees and bushes.
They consume tree bark, roots and chew on wood.
Although we cant cut down a tree and throw in the cage (for obvious reasons), we can furnish the cage with a variety of branches and wooden logs.
If you are new to degus, keep in mind that many woods are toxic to them. Please do some research about the safe/toxic wood types and if you are not sure or have questions on the matter, ask on the forum and we will be more than happy to help you.
In short, wood greatly enhances the look of a degu cage and provides the degus with something to climb on and chew.
Many other items can be used to make a cage look more natural.
Although coconut shells are not found in the degu's wild habitat, they do look very good in the cage. The same can be said for clay pots. Even though this is man-made, the terra cota colour looks quite stunning against bedding, hay and wood branches.
Thick brown ropes can also be attached to the walls of the cage simulating the branches of a tree and providing the degus with additional climbing space.
On a special note, it is quite common to leave the leaves on pieces of birch branches we put in the cage. Birch leaves are safe for degus and they also give the cage a stunningly natural look.
I hope this will help you or atleast give you ideas for your next cage setup. At first, you might not like the results, but with time and practise you will be able to create stunning setups.
Comments, questions, suggestions and ideas are welcome
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Updates: New photos !
Fellow degu owner, Jordan
-Degu and Chinchilla World Forum-
* This article is mainly for those who are in the process of building a degu cage, or are planning to build one in the near future. For reasons that will be stated in this article, simulating the degu's natural habitat is nearly impossible in a wire/metal cage.
To start off, I would just like to say that trying to simulate your degus wild habitat, will not contribute to their level of hapiness.
Degus can be just as happy and healthy in a metal cage filled with colourful toys and such.
On the other hand, trying to recreate a piece of nature in the degu cage can be very fun and rewarding. Not only does it look great, but the degus will also feel more "at home" in such a setup. Trying to create the perfect, natural looking setup requires some amount of research into the degu's wild habitat and the various things they do (ex: climb, burrow, forage)
So how can you recreate the degu's natural habitat ?
First, we need to do a bit of reading on degus. Anyone who has basic knowledge on degus will know that they live in elevated areas near Chile's mountain chain.
They generally live near rocky outcroppings and steep, bushy hills. Their main activities include running, climbing, digging, chewing and foraging.
This is all the knowledge we need to try and recreate the natural looking habitat or the "perfect setup" for our beloved pets.
Its very important to keep in mind that it is nearly impossile to accuratly recreate a natural habitat. We simply do not have the ressources and room, necessary to achieve such a task.
This does not mean that we simply give up...no. Instead, we should strive to use what we posess to achieve this goal.
The way to go about this is to use the natural elements that can be found or purchased. Rocks, stones and pebbles, digging/burrowing substrate, hay, lots of running space, thick branches, thin branches and wooden logs.
We will briefly consider each of these elements and see how they can be of use in creating the "perfect setup" for our degus.
First of all, rocks/stones/pebbles.
Apart from the two extreme climates (arctic/desert), rocks, stones and pebbles can be found everywhere. They are in the water, on the ground and even deep under the earth.
We can use a wide variety of rocks, or stones to help piece together the natural habitat we want to create.
Large rocks look good near the base of the cage, providing some amount of relief or inclination in the substrate/bedding.
Digging/burrowing substrate.
Ideally dirt, peat, straw and a clay based substrate would be the best digging material.
But lets be reasonable...unless you plan on building a digging box, using organic dirt of soil would be very unpractical, but it would also prove to be very messy.
The best digging materials to use inside the degu cage are Kiln dried pine wood shavings or Aspen wood bedding.
Of course, there are no wood shavings in the wild, but there is the point of practicality vs natural look that we must keep in mind.
In the wild, degus dig deep underground tunnels. On cool nights, they retreat undergound to cuddle up and hide from the cold winds that sweep the elevated mountain side.
We cannot possibly give our degus the digging space they need to create these deep tunnels, but we can satisfy their need to dig and burrow by providing them with a thick layer of bedding.
Not only does this help keep the cage clean, but it also provides them with hours of fun.
* This is nearly impossible to do in a metal/wire cage, since the bedding would quickly get pushed and kicked out the cage bars.
This is one of the reasons why trying to simulate the degu's natural habitat in a wire/metal cage would be impossible and highly unpractical.
Next on the list we have hay.
In the wild, degus consume grass, herbs, plants and flowers.
We dont always have access to herbs, plants or flowers...but we do have access to hay. Hay not only consists of over 50% of the degu's diet, but it also looks natural in the cage.
If you want the natural setup, forget the hay rack.
This would look totally out of place and would shine like a beacon among the other natural items in the cage.
If you are looking to create the natural setup, create large piles of hay on the bottom level of the cage. Dont be afraid to use a lot. The degus will consume it quickly, but it will also provide them with areas to dig, and hide their food in.
Running space...this is the most important reason to build a degu cage. Degus are highly active animals and require lots of running space. Although levels are not natural, we need them. The space we can provide our degus with in captivity, is really quite insignificant compared to the space they use in the wild. For this reason, we need all the surface area we can get to keep them fit and healthy. The best way to achieve this, is by installing several large levels in the cage.
Not only will this give you more space to fit all the toys and accesories but each level can be used for a different purpose.
(example: playground level, eating/drinking/snacking level...etc)
Most importantly though, this will give your degus more space to run and overall, increase their hapiness.
Branches and logs.
Degus comes from areas with lots of small trees and bushes.
They consume tree bark, roots and chew on wood.
Although we cant cut down a tree and throw in the cage (for obvious reasons), we can furnish the cage with a variety of branches and wooden logs.
If you are new to degus, keep in mind that many woods are toxic to them. Please do some research about the safe/toxic wood types and if you are not sure or have questions on the matter, ask on the forum and we will be more than happy to help you.
In short, wood greatly enhances the look of a degu cage and provides the degus with something to climb on and chew.
Many other items can be used to make a cage look more natural.
Although coconut shells are not found in the degu's wild habitat, they do look very good in the cage. The same can be said for clay pots. Even though this is man-made, the terra cota colour looks quite stunning against bedding, hay and wood branches.
Thick brown ropes can also be attached to the walls of the cage simulating the branches of a tree and providing the degus with additional climbing space.
On a special note, it is quite common to leave the leaves on pieces of birch branches we put in the cage. Birch leaves are safe for degus and they also give the cage a stunningly natural look.
I hope this will help you or atleast give you ideas for your next cage setup. At first, you might not like the results, but with time and practise you will be able to create stunning setups.
Comments, questions, suggestions and ideas are welcome
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Updates: New photos !
Fellow degu owner, Jordan
-Degu and Chinchilla World Forum-
the cage is huuuuge haha cant wait to post pics!!
