Degus are in the parvorder Caviomorpha of the infraorder Hystricognathi, along with the chinchilla and guinea pig.

Degus are highly social.

Degus are strictly herbivorous, in the wild feeding on grasses and browsing the leaves of shrubs, though they will also take seeds.

Degus have been found to have a divergent insulin structure ( one of the hormones that regulates blood glucose level ) and so are highly susceptible to developing diabetes mellitus when fed regularly on a diet containing free sugars.

Degus are extremely intelligent and have a good ability to solve problems.

Degus entered the research spotlight due to their unique relationship with sugar and diabetes, but are also studied for a wide variety of other reasons.

Degus are also invaluable in development and aging studies.

Degus have the ability to show both diurnal and nocturnal rhythms if the environment permits, allowing a unique opportunity for study.

Degus can take cues that do not relate to day length, such as temperature, melatonin levels and even scents from other degus to adjust their rhythms.

Degus often ' groom ' their human owners, by a gentle nibbling action, and readily bond with any person spending time with them.

Degus digging together coordinate their activities, forming digging chains.

Degus exhibit a wide array of communication techniques.

Degus have also been found to spontaneously stack objects in order of decreasing size.

Degus need regular sand baths to keep their coats healthy and free from grease.

Image: Degu-Rudi. jpg | Degus in captivity.

Because agricultural activities are seasonal and the areas of production and harvest of many foods are widely scattered geographically, and because of the high cost of transporting bulk food items any substantial distance to a central processing location, the use of large central processing stations, where low-cost radiation facilities approaching the megawatt range might be utilized, is inherently impracticable.

Farther south, there are attractive patches all the way to the Ozarks, with some seasonal peaks as late as early November.

Because of the ocean's great capacity to store and release heat, maritime climates are more moderate and have less extreme seasonal variations than inland climates.

Antarctic airports are subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions ; they do not meet ICAO standards, and advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization is required for landing ( 1999 est.

Along the Gulf Coast there are seasonal runs of Tarpon, pompano, Red drum, and bonito.

While most foods are harvested during the autumn, foods particularly associated with the season include pumpkins ( which are integral parts of both Thanksgiving and Halloween ) and apples, which are used to make the seasonal beverage apple cider.

The Niger's tributaries – the Béli, the Gorouol, the Goudébo and the Dargol – are seasonal streams and flow for only four to six months a year.

Most bokbiers tend to be seasonal beers ( traditionally autumn, although there are currently also spring, summer and winter boks ).

Cambodia's climate, like that of the rest of Southeast Asia is dominated by monsoons, which are known as tropical wet and dry because of the distinctly marked seasonal differences.

periodic droughts in south ; Congo River floods ( seasonal ); in the east, in the Albertine Rift, there are active volcanoes

Erfurt Airport offers several seasonal and charter services, but regular flights to major domestic and international destinations are currently missing.

Source patches are productive sites that generate a seasonal supply of juveniles that migrate to other patch locations.

Small patches of lower quality ( i. e., sinks ) are maintained or rescued by a seasonal influx of new immigrants.

With the advent of deep-freeze and the air-conditioned hypermarché, these seasonal variations are less marked than hitherto, but they are still observed, in some cases due to legal restrictions.

Tropical dry forests are characteristic of areas in the tropics affected by seasonal drought.

First, he argues that John's account of Jesus ' ministry is always consistent, in that seasonal references always follow in the correct sequence, geographical distances are always consistent with indications of journey times, and references to external events always cohere with the internal chronology of Jesus ' ministry.

There are also seasonal jokes, with snow-related gags common in January or February and beach or heat themed jokes in the summer.

Christian hymns are often written with special or seasonal themes and these are used on holy days such as Christmas, Easter and the Feast of All Saints, or during particular seasons such as Advent and Lent.

Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses.

The relationships between the Goddess and the Horned God are mirrored by Wiccans in seasonal rituals.

Explosive breeders on the other hand are found where temporary pools appear in dry regions after rainfall.

There are many Canchim breeders forming new blood lines.

Since the occurrence and severity of these health problems is largely hereditary, breeders are working to eliminate these.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that a critical mass of plant breeders, leaders, managers and technicians, donors and partners are linked together through an effective global network.

Hamsters are seasonal breeders and will produce several litters a year with several pups in each litter.

Most breeders will sell the hamsters to shops when they are three to nine weeks old.

Many breeders also show their hamsters, so breed towards producing a good, healthy, show hamster with a view to keeping one or two themselves, so quality and temperament are of vital importance when planning the breeding.

While the possible colors are virtually limitless, breeders have identified and named a number of specific categories.

Likewise, every hominid species found on the Ringworld is descended from Pak breeders, and all are susceptible to the virus of Tree-of-life.

The term was introduced by Darwin in his groundbreaking 1859 book On the Origin of Species, in which natural selection was described by analogy to artificial selection, a process by which animals and plants with traits considered desirable by human breeders are systematically favored for reproduction.

The term was introduced by Darwin in his influential 1859 book On the Origin of Species, in which natural selection was described as analogous to artificial selection, a process by which animals and plants with traits considered desirable by human breeders are systematically favored for reproduction.

Some other types of intellectual property rights are also referred to as patents in some jurisdictions: industrial design rights are called design patents in the US, plant breeders ' rights are sometimes called plant patents, and utility models and Gebrauchsmuster are sometimes called petty patents or innovation patents.

Some of the captive-breeding programs for some equids are unusual, in that breeders have been carefully selecting specimens to recreate various recently extinct equids, such as the tarpan and quagga.

Supporters of the theory that prairie dogs are communal breeders state that another reason for this type of infanticide is so that the female can get a possible helper.

Fortunately the Sloughi is one of the breeds in whom this condition can be tested for with a small blood sample, and breeders are working to eliminate PRA from the gene pool.

The shrikes are generally monogamous breeders, although polygyny has been recorded in some species.

Within a species, wheat cultivars are further classified by wheat breeders and farmers in terms of:

Mutants of popular rice varieties are regularly screened by plant breeders to discover new sources of durable resistance.

Rabbits and hares are both prolific breeders.

Using visual inspection of cattle by the most knowledgeable Texas Longhorn breeders and the use of blood type analysis to further identify parentage, CTLR has the ideal of preserving fullblood Texas Longhorn cattle that are genetically and historically correct for posterity.

Procellariiformes are monogamous breeders and form long term pair-bonds.

This has led to spectacular declines in some species, as Procellariiformes are slow breeders and cannot replace their numbers fast enough.