The lack of recognition of lactating females by infant Octodon degus

A series of tests were conducted to determine whether infant degus (Octodon degus) will (a) show sensitivity to maternal olfactory cues and/or (b) discriminate between a novel adult lactating female and their mother. The pups showed no preferences when exposed to an array of different olfactory stimuli but did spend significantly more time in proximity with the novel lactating female than with their mothers. It is hypothesized that the communal rearing systems which are apparently characteristic of degus in the wild, coupled with the novelty of the lactating female, may account for these results.