Stereotaxic atlas of the brain of Octodon degus

We present a stereotaxic atlas of the brain of the trumpet-tailed rat or degu (Octodon degus), an hystricomorph rodent native to Chile and one which has become increasingly popular as a research animal, among other things because of its use as a model for diabetic cataracts and its tendency to become hyperglycemic. The atlas contains 38 transverse and two sagittal sections of the brain covering pros-, mes-, and rhombencephalon, as well as diagrams of the brain's surface anatomy. It was constructed from brains of young adult male degus but can be used readily in studies of adult females, since there is no apparent sexual dimorphism in the brain size of this rodent. Ninety percent of 40 experimental lesions used to check the accuracy of the atlas were correctly placed. The fore- and midbrain of the degu are generally more compact than corresponding regions of the brain in the laboratory rat (suborder Myomorpha) and the guinea pig (another hystricomorph). The amygdaloid complex extends further forward in the telencephalon. Major mesencephalic nuclei and fiber tracts are more rostral in position. However, superior and inferior colliculi are much longer in degus than rats. The basic organization of the rhombencephalon is similar in degus and rats, although there are clearcut differences in the length or size of some hindbrain nuclei.