Octodon
OCTODON, the generic name for a small South American rodent mammal (Oclodon degus) locally known as the degu. It is the type of the family Oclodontidae, the members of which collectively termed octodonts are exclusively Central and South American. Several of them, such as Echinomys and Loncheres, are rat-like creatures with spiny or bristly fur (see RODENTIA).
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
