It's always an exciting time when we have newborns at the Science Center! Our degus recently gave birth to seven pups, and we can't wait for you to meet them.

These tiny rodents are still nursing, but also eating solid foods. As they grow bigger, they will become more curious, leaving their nest hiding space while remaining cautious.

Never met a degu before? Here are a few important things to know:

• These animals are highly sociable, working together to construct elaborate burrows. They will forage together, bettering their ability to detect and avoid predators.
• Communication is highly developed in degus. They speak to each other via a complex vocal range, comprised of up to 15 unique sounds. In the event of danger, degus vocalize an alarm call that sends their whole group scurrying for the safety of underground burrows.
• Degus are also widely used in research, especially in the study of diabetes due to their intolerance of high sugar diets. Elderly degus are also being used to study Alzheimer’s disease, since they are affected in similar ways to humans.

Meet the degus on your next visit to the Science Center! They live on the third floor in our Eat and Be Eaten exhibition, along with 100+ fascinating animal species.

animals,  baby animals,  degus,  Eat and Be Eaten