Degu

Coat and looks how to spot one

Short, dense fur; long thin tail ending in a dark tuft

A compact, rat-sized rodent with a rounded head, bright dark eyes and fairly large ears. The wild-type coat is a warm yellowish brown on the back that fades to a creamy belly, with a pale ring around each eye and a lighter band at the neck. The slim tail is almost as long as the body and finishes in a black brush. Head and body measure about 25-31 cm, or roughly 32-44 cm when the tail is included. Its cheek teeth have a figure-of-eight shape, which is where the genus name Octodon comes from.12

Personality what they are like

Degus are lively, inquisitive and strongly group-minded. They spend their day digging, chewing, climbing and chatting to each other, and they tend to be most active in the morning and late afternoon. As prey animals they can be cautious at first, but with calm, patient handling and small rewards they learn to come to their keepers and will climb onto an open hand.421

Daily activity how busy a day looks

High. Degus are diurnal and need room to run, jump, climb, dig and chew every day. Give them a solid exercise wheel, tunnels, platforms at several heights and branches of safe wood such as apple, pear or beech. Rotating chew toys and digging material keeps them busy.53

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Degus keep their own coats clean with sand baths. Offer a heavy, shallow bowl of chinchilla sand about 4 cm deep two or three times a week for around 20-30 minutes, then take it out. Clean feeding and toilet areas daily and the whole enclosure at least weekly. Pick them up by letting them walk onto your palm and cupping them with both hands, approaching from below rather than from above, and never lift them by the tail.541

Home where they are happiest

A large, tall enclosure with a solid floor and lots of vertical space, several levels and stable climbing features. Use a deep layer of hay, shredded paper or dust-free wood shavings for digging, and give nest boxes big enough for the whole group to sleep together plus separate hiding spots for each animal. Degus chew through plastic, so wooden, rope and cardboard furnishings work best (avoid cedar). Keep the room no warmer than about 20 C and place the enclosure away from cats, dogs, ferrets and other predators.54

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Herbivore. Unlimited good-quality hay should make up most of the diet, plus a small measured daily portion of plain guinea pig or chinchilla nuggets without molasses or dried fruit. Degus are naturally suited to a low-sugar, low-fat diet, so skip fruit and sweet treats and give sweeter vegetables such as carrot only as tiny occasional pieces. Fresh water from a bottle should always be available. Like rabbits, they re-eat some of their droppings to get the most from their food.612

Company who they like around

Degus should never live alone. Keep them in same-sex pairs or small groups, or a neutered male with females; do not keep more than one male in a mixed group. In the wild they live in family groups of one or two males with several related females. Regular gentle contact with people helps them become confident and friendly.42

The story where it all began

The degu was first written up in 1782 by the Chilean naturalist Juan Ignacio Molina, who placed it with the squirrels as Sciurus degus. George Robert Waterhouse moved it to the genus Octodon in 1848, named for its figure-of-eight molars. Its common name comes from the Mapuche word for a mouse or rat. Degus spend their lives in communal burrows in the scrubland of central Chile, where their daytime habits and social life made them valuable to scientists. They became well known as laboratory animals, especially in studies of daily body rhythms, and that familiarity led to them being kept as household pets in Europe and North America, where they are now a popular choice among small rodents.12

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Wild species assessed as Least Concern.2

Taxonomy

First named by Juan Ignacio Molina in 1782 as Sciurus degus; described in its current genus Octodon by George Robert Waterhouse in 1848. There is no breed registry: pet degus are the wild species kept in captivity.1