Pacific Degu

Pacific Degu
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Octodontidae
Genus:	Octodon
Species:	O. pacificus
Binomial name
Octodon pacificus R. Hutterer, 1994

The Pacific degu (Octodon pacificus), 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. Rainer Hutterer^[2].

Like its close relative the common degu, the Mocha Island degu is diurnal (active during the day)^[3]. This species is said to have relatively primitive octodontid features^[2], including long fur and a tail lacking a substantial tuft^[2], a feature common amongst other octodons.

References

1. ^ Lessa, E., Ojeda, R. & Bidau, C. (2008). Octodon pacificus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 5 January 2009.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Hutterer, R. (1994), "Island rodents: A new species of Octodon from Isla Mocha, Chile (Mammalia: Octodontidae)", Zeitschrift fur Saugetierkunde 59: 27–41. 
3. ^ Ocampo-Garcés, A.; Mena, W.; Hernández, F.; Cortés, N.; Palacios, A.G. (2006), "Circadian chronotypes among wild-captured west Andean octodontids", Biol Res. 39: 209–220.