Further Reading
Here is a list of a few of the sites I've read and a description of what to expect. I will keep adding links for you to check out, so that you have the opportunity to "study" degus like I did, and hopefully build up enough knowledge to make your own conclusion and your own opinions.
I have spend a lot of hours going through endless pages, some of which were incredibly outdated and some were turning out to be very useful. My goal with this site is that the future degu owner doesn't absolutely have to go through all that, but simply go in here and find everything they'll have to know. There is a lot of controversy about everything from cage size to diet to which types of trees are safe for them to chew. On degutopia you will find a long list of "toxic" woods, and I have concluded that the reason for that list is that her "motto" about the subject is "If in doubt, leave it out". I wouldn't classify most of those woods as toxic thou, and the reason for that is that there is no proof that those woods are unhealthy or potentially dangerous for them. So she has listed all the woods that might cause any type of discomfort or reaction generally. If you have found any useful sites yourself, I would really appreciate if you would tell me about it, either in the forum or in an email :) |
Degutopia
This site is made by Chloe Long, a biologist researching animal behaviour and bioacoustics. Even thou her site might come across very personal rather than "professional", I find that her integrity and her intentions are all in the right place. She provides a thorough yet easy to follow guide for keeping degus, with a lot of experience behind her and her site was also the first I came across. Petinfopackets This site focus more on behaviour and diseases, and I find it a good read. It's not as detailed, but it paints a good picture of what kind of pet it is and what it takes to keep it. |