Octodon
Encyclopedia
Octodon is a genus
of octodontid rodent
s, of which the best-known member is the degu
O. degus. The full list of species is:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of octodontid rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s, of which the best-known member is the degu
Degu
The degu is a small caviomorph rodent that is endemic to central Chile.It is sometimes referred to as the brush-tailed rat, and is also called the common degu, to distinguish it from the other members of the genus Octodon. Other members are also called degus, but they are distinguished by...
O. degus. The full list of species is:
- O. bridgesi, Bridge's Degu, found in ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... - O. degus, the Common Degu or Degu, found in central Chile
- O. lunatus, the Moon-toothed DeguMoon-toothed DeguThe Moon-toothed degu is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is endemic to Chile, occurring in mountainous areas along the Pacific coast in the central part of the country.-Biology and physiology:...
, a nocturnal animal found in central Chile - O. pacificus, the Mocha Island degu or Pacific DeguPacific DeguThe Pacific degu , also known as the Mocha Island degu, is a species of rodent in the Octodontidae family. It is endemic to Chile. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. It was classified in 1994 by Dr...
, a recently discovered species found exclusively around Mocha Island, Chile