Every supervillain needs a superhero… could that superhero be you?

It’s not very often we have Degus available for adoption — let alone 3-month old Degus! — so if you’ve never heard of these little creatures, let us tell you a bit about them! A close relative of the Chinchilla, the Degu is native to the coast of central Chile. When in the wild, they live in large groups and work together to construct their burrows. They’re problem solvers and extremely loyal to their pack… in fact, female Degus will even help nurse their friends’ offspring if needed!

Currently, we have four male Degus available for adoption: Lex Luthor, Penguin, Riddler and Two Face.

We know what you might be thinking: these are just undercover Gerbils! While their supervillain names might suggest they’re trying to pull a fast one on you, rest assured that they’re not! They might be able to get away with the comparison now since they’re still young, but they can actually grow up to four times the size of your average Gerbil!

Another characteristic that differentiates Degus from other more common household rodents is that they’re diurnal, meaning they are awake and active during the day. They also have an average lifespan that is a bit longer than most rodents (5-9 years). So, if you’ve been wanting to adopt a couple little cuties to love for a long time but don’t totally loooove the idea of hearing a wheel squeak throughout the night for the foreseeable future… well, what are you waiting for?!

Within their loving and very lucky forever homes, these guys will need a spacious enclosure with lots of room to dig and exercise. Equally important as physical activity is socialization, as Degus are incredibly social creatures and use somewhere in the region of 15 different sounds to communicate.

As with many types of animals, early and proper socialization is key to helping your pet be comfortable with handling. Luckily, these guys are young, impressionable and eager to learn that human contact is a great thing — they just need a family that’s willing to put the work in.

We are seeking home(s) that are interested in adopting either a pair or all four. If you are looking for a couple sidekicks, please swing by the New Hampshire SPCA between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. any day except Wednesday to meet these mighty cute babes!