page_title: Infanticide in rodents
section_title: Exceptions
hierarchical_section_title: Infanticide in rodents / Exceptions
caption_attribution_description: English: Degu (Octodon degus), DC Nat Zoo
context_page_description: Infanticide is the termination of a neonate after it has been born, and in zoology this is often the termination or consumption of newborn animals by either a parent or an unrelated adult. In rodents, it is not uncommon for the mother to commit infanticide shortly after parturition under conditions of extreme stress, or for an unrelated male to kill neonates.
context_section_description: Not all rodent species commit infanticide, and in fact some species are remarkable for their lack of this behaviour. One such species is the common degu, a highly social caviomorph rodent from central Chile. Common degus have been found not to harm even unfamiliar pups, and male degus will even accept other males' litters into a group without problems. This is thought to be related to the communal nesting habits of the species and reflects genetic trends rather than a lack of the conditions that lead to infanticide.
caption: Common degus do not show this behaviour.
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