a newbie needing help!!

[nuttz]

(i posted this on the newbie section but thought id post here too, hope you dont mind?)
Firstly, id like to say a huge hello to everyone!!!  

my name is heidi and brought our 1st chipmunk last friday, he is adorable!!!  not sure how old he is but i know he is a baby..  
   well, i know this sounds like a silly question to all you expert chippie lovers, this is the reason im so happy to have found you all, firstly i´ll explain..  we live in spain and last friday we popped in to our local pet shop to pick up my rabbit, hamsters food bedding etc and found a cage bursting with these beautiful little things, running, jumping around, spinning on the wheel..  my youngest son and i just stood watching them for ages, amused by the way the shot around and i decided i had to have one, i understand that with buying any pet you shoud research them first but as im quite an experianced pet owner, 4 children...lol, 6 dogs, 2 cats, 3 rabbits and a hamster i thought or should i say, i know i would be able to make our new little fella a happy and loved part of our family!!!
   getting to my silly question, on the cage in the pet shop it had a sign saying ardillas, and as far as i was aware it ment chipmunks..  (they looked to me like chipmunks) anyway, yesterday as i was researching him on the internet i was looking at photos and noticed that all the chipmunks had stripes, mine didnt have any???  so started to wonder, could it be a squirrel (not that i would mind either way, i love him to bits) so looked at pictures of squirrels on the net, but they have all got bushy tails???  mine didnt have a bushy tail either, so what is he???
   right, i´ll explain what he looks like and hopefully somebody could tell me what he is.  he is tiny, a little bigger than a hampster, but like i said he is a baby, the adults in the shop were a little bigger but not alot, he is brownish grey,no stripes, he has big eyes that love to watch my every move, large-ish ears,  but the one thing i did notice is, he hasnt got a bushy tail, infact, its more rat like tail with short hairs.
  as i said, on the cage in the shop it said ardillas, so ive looked up the translation in english and it said, either a chipmunk, squirrel or gopher, he defo isnt a gopher as he doesnt look like one atal, his body shape is exactly like a chipmunk or squirrel, but no stripes and no bushy tail???  arggg, please can anybody help, as i said, it wouldnt matter as i love him dearly and wouldnt change him for the world, already he knows me and comes and sits on my hand, just i would love to know what he really is, its driving me NUTTZ!!!
  
thank you to you all and i look foward to many years getting to know you all here, if you´ll have me if my chips dont turn out to be a chips after all...........lol  
 
 
 

[robjacko]

it sounds to me like a sugar glider but im no expert.

check on the internet ti see if it is a sugar glider.

[pinkpill]

can u post a pic? 

[DayleC]

Sounds like a Degu......

http://www.degus.exotic-small-furry-pets.co.uk/engels/index.html

[pinkpill]

u know i was thinkin that too.  i was lookin at my goos as i was readin it, especially the eyes 

[pinkpill]

also if it is a degu they are not supposed to be kept on their own as they are very sociable and they can suffer from depression and loneliness if left alone 

[mik]

HI ID JUST LIKE TO BARE U WITH THE BAD NEWS IS A GLIDDER SO FOR THE SAKE OF THE LITTLE BUDDY GET A MATE FOR HIM OR LIKE WAT HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED IT WILL CHANGE IN A LOT OF WAYS

[nuttz]

Morning everyone

Well as you can see im back and would like to say a huge, huge thank-you to everyone that replied, ive looked at all suggestions and have decovered that my little chips is indeed a DEGU, ive looked on the net briefly last night and have learnt a little about the little sweeties and im just about to do some more researching as i want the very best for my new little baby, i have read that he should never be alone so either today or tomorrow i will be getting him a little buddy for sure!!!  im a little concerned as to getting the sex right though...  i read that its best to keep the same sex as to reduce the chances of fights, im sure mine is a little boy although at this stage im not completly 100% and its no use suggesting i speak to the pet shop owner as they are completly useless . for example: when i brought him last friday, the lady put on gloves and dived into the cage picking the dear thing up by his tail, one thing i read last night was "never pick them up by their tails as its possible that the tail could fall off" to be honest the lady looked petrified at the thought of putting her hands into the cage! and when i asked, "what is the best sex as pets?" she just shrugged her shoulders, as i said "USELESS".
Anyway, i just thought id pop back to say thank-you, if it wasnt for you all id still be thinking he was a chipmunk, bless him, its like calling my dog a cat....lol
As for his name, i called him chips-thinking he was a chips, i cant change that now so his new little mate will have to be called dale unless anyone has any cool suggestions???  fish maybe...lol ok, maybe NOT

Rest assured, i shall pop back to let you all know how they both get along if you dont mind? i know im not a real chippy owner but youve been so helpful, this is a fantastic site!!! 
Thanks again, Heidi x

[tarcus/Kevin]

  as you are using the computer a lot to help find the right information for your new found friend may I suggest the next one could be called "MICRO"

[nuttz]

OMG...how funny, i would have never of thought of that 
 i may even concider it

im still however trying to research sexing degus, im actually starting to think that he is actually a she???  my, oh my..i really am rubbish at all this...lol 

[robjacko]

funny story, ha glad you found out what he/she is

[pinkpill]

i have 2 female degus so i couldnt say what a boy looks like  but also do u know that ur degu cannot eat alot of fruit or nuts as they are prone to diabetes so they should be eating a food specially for them 

[nuttz]

hello again everyone

just thought id pop back to give you an update...
well as i discovered last week, my chips is a degu, i read as much as i could and have since brought him a little buddy.. we have decided to call the new one chocs (choc, chips...lol  i know, original)  they have both settled together lovely, they have their little sqabbles from time to time but nothing serious, its lovely to see them snuggling up together at sleepy times, im so glad we got them!!!  oh.......and they are definatly both boys so no babies........

thanks again to everyone that replied last week, as ive said before.............GREAT SITE!!!

heidi xxx

[tarcus/Kevin]

Not to put a dampness on things but many years ago I had what was "definitely" a pair of boys.....
Still I did manage to sell the offspring

[pinkpill]

glad ur sorted now   they are really cute to watch as theyre really tactile, mine are female and theyre always grooming each other and snuggling up, they just row over food