North American degu (SciiFii)

The North American degu (Octodon neocauda) is a species of degu that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, scrublands, and mountainous regions across North America to help boost biodiversity. The North American degu is a small animal with a body length of 25.0 to 31.0 centimeters (9.8–12.2 inches) and a weight of 170 to 400 grams (6.0 to 14.1 oz). It has orange-brown fur above and creamy-tan below, with bright brown around the eyes and a paler band around the neck. It has a long, thin tail with a tufted, black tip, dark sparsely furred ears, and pale grey toes. Its fifth toe is small with a nail, rather than a claw, on the fore feet. Its hind feet are bristled. Its cheek teeth are shaped like figures-of-eight, hence the degu's genus name Octodon. Unlike some other octodontids, North American degus are diurnal (active during the day), and they have good vision. North American degus are strictly herbivorous, in the wild feeding on grasses and browsing the leaves of shrubs and fallen fruits, though they will also take seeds and nuts. The North American degus are also specially adapted to a very high fibre intake, and this varies between food types and environmental conditions. Like some other herbivores such as rabbits, they perform coprophagy (faecal reingestion) so as to extract more nutrition from their diet. This also serves to maintain healthy gut function during times when food is scarce. Although they are active by day, in high summer they do not leave their burrows in the middle of the day and instead emerge to forage in the mornings and evenings. North American degus are highly social. They live in burrows, and, by digging communally, they are able to construct larger and more elaborate burrows than they could on their own. North American degus digging together coordinate their activities, forming digging chains. Females living in the same group have been shown to spontaneously nest communally; they nurse one another's young. They spend a large amount of time on the surface, where they forage for food. When foraging, their ability to detect predators is increased in larger groups, and each animal needs to spend less time in vigilance. North American degus exhibit a wide array of communication techniques. They have an elaborate vocal repertoire comprising up to 15 different sounds, and the young need to be able to hear their mother's calls if the emotional systems in their brains are to develop properly. They use their urine to scent mark, and experiments have shown that they react to one another's marks, although in males the hormone testosterone may suppress their sense of smell somewhat. North American degus are seasonal breeders; the breeding season for wild degus begins in early spring, with pups born in early to mid-summer. Female North American degus are pregnant for approximately ninety days, having a comparatively long gestation period compared to other non-caviomorph rodents. Female pregnant weight varies over the course of gestation and according to litter size; litters contain an average of seven pups, but size can range from one or three up to thirteen young. North American degu pups are born relatively precocial, fully furred and with eyes open, and their auditory and visual systems are functional at birth. Unlike most other rodents, male North American degus also take part in protecting and raising their pups until they are old enough to leave the family. The conservation status of the North American degu is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American degu's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.