About degus
What is the lifespan of a degu?
Wild degus often have short lives, while captive animals commonly live around five to nine years; some reach ten. These figures vary with the population and care, and are not a prediction for an individual.
Are degus diurnal or nocturnal?
Degus are generally diurnal, with activity often concentrated in the cooler morning and evening hours. Their activity pattern also depends on season and conditions.
What is the natural habitat of the degu?
The degu lives in burrows in Chile, in a semi-arid climate. It is a burrowing animal that can dig up to 2 meters deep.
Are degus social animals?
Yes. Wild social groups vary in size and composition. Captive degus should normally have compatible degu companions, often in pairs or small groups. Six is not a universal biological maximum: space, compatibility and resources matter.
Are degus suitable for beginners?
They can be suitable for a well-prepared beginner who can meet their social, housing, dietary and veterinary needs. Research reliable guidance and the long-term commitment before adopting.
Are degus noisy?
They can be. Their vocal repertoire includes roughly fifteen call types, and gnawing and wheel use can also be noisy. A bedroom may not be a suitable location.
At what age does a degu reach puberty?
Timing varies by sex, individual and conditions. Fertility can occur in young captive animals, so do not rely on a single age as a guarantee against breeding. Puberty and the later maturation of circadian rhythms are different processes.
Can degus see colours?
They have dichromatic vision, with cone classes sensitive to green and ultraviolet wavelengths. This is more precise than saying that they see only two individual colours.
Are degus escape artists?
Yes. They are fast, can jump and can chew through weak materials. Use a secure enclosure and supervise every outing.
Are degus legal everywhere?
No. France treats degus as non-domestic animals, with rules depending on the activity and numbers kept. Other countries, provinces, states and municipalities may restrict them. Check the exact jurisdiction before acquiring or moving animals.
Feeding
What food should I give my degu?
Provide a balanced, fibre-rich herbivorous diet, with suitable hay and fresh water always available. Appropriate pellets and carefully selected leafy plants can form part of it. Calcium and phosphorus must be assessed across the complete ration; a single 1% calcium target is not a universal prescription.
Can degus eat fruit?
This site recommends leaving fruit out of the routine diet because it is unnecessary and often sugary. An accidental small mouthful does not inevitably cause diabetes, but no universal safe portion can be guaranteed.
How often should I feed my degu?
Every day, with a few pellets and some dried flowers or plants. Hay and water should be available at all times.
Can degus eat vegetables?
Suitable leafy plants may be introduced gradually. Other vegetables vary in sugar, starch and fibre, so this site recommends limiting them and favouring fibrous foliage. Water content alone does not make a vegetable dangerous.
Do degus need hay?
Yes, they must have hay available at all times for their fiber needs and to keep their teeth worn down naturally.
Can degus eat carrots?
We recommend leaving carrots out of the routine diet and choosing suitable low-sugar, fibrous plants instead. They should not be described as acutely toxic simply because they contain sugar.
Can degus eat seeds?
Some carefully selected seeds can be included in a balanced ration or given in very small amounts as treats. This site recommends avoiding cereal treats; assess any formulated feed as a complete product.
Can degus eat apples?
We recommend avoiding apples as routine treats because of their sugar content. Choose suitable leafy plants instead.
Do degus eat dandelions?
Correctly identified dandelion leaves and suitable roots can be included in a varied diet. Collect them from uncontaminated areas and introduce unfamiliar plants gradually.
Which fruits are toxic for degus?
Avocado should be avoided. Dietary avoidance of fruit because of sugar is different from acute toxicity; do not assume all fruits or citrus share the same toxic mechanism. If an animal eats a potentially harmful food, contact your veterinarian.
Behaviour
Can a degu live alone?
Degus normally need compatible companions of their own species. After bereavement, or when illness or serious aggression complicates introductions, assess the individual with an experienced veterinarian or rescue. Old age alone is not a reason to assume companionship is unnecessary.
How can I introduce a new degu?
Use a gradual, carefully supervised introduction process, allowing familiarisation before direct contact. Even careful introductions cannot guarantee compatibility.
Are degus suitable for children?
Not really—they can bite very hard. It’s best to always supervise interactions between children and animals. Children can help feed them, but adults should be responsible for their care and well-being.
How can I tame a degu?
Use calm, predictable interactions and suitable small rewards, allowing the animal to approach voluntarily. Progress varies between individuals.
How can I handle a degu safely?
Support the whole body from below with cupped hands, close to a safe surface, or use a carrier. Never grip or lift the tail: its skin can tear away. A frightened degu may bite.
How can I keep a degu busy?
By offering food- and habitat-based enrichment activities to stimulate curiosity and natural behaviors.
Can I let my degu out of its cage?
Yes, but always under supervision. Degus can chew electric cables, furniture, or run off and hide in your home.
Do degus play together?
Yes, especially when they’re young. Play helps them learn the species’ social behaviors and establish hierarchy.
What should I do if my degu bites?
Wash the bite promptly with soap and running water and seek medical advice, particularly for deep wounds, hand injuries or infection signs. Bites can damage tendons and may require assessment of tetanus protection.
How can I deal with an aggressive degu?
Avoid forced contact and allow it to retreat. Check for pain, illness or social and environmental stressors. Use patient, voluntary interaction and appropriate rewards; persistent or sudden aggression warrants assessment.
Housing
Which cage should I choose?
A spacious, secure aviary or suitable ferret-style enclosure may work if bar spacing, ventilation and materials are safe. Provide a generous continuous floor area for movement and digging; a cage marketed for rabbits is suitable only if its construction, spacing and chewable base are safe.
Which bedding is suitable?
Low-dust, absorbent hemp or flax bedding can be useful. Assess dust, absorbency, hygiene and the individual animal rather than assuming every product with the same material name is suitable.
How often should I clean the cage?
Remove wet or soiled areas and food waste frequently. Inspect the enclosure daily and plan broader cleaning according to group size, bedding and hygiene, often weekly, with occasional deeper cleaning. Avoid a rigid schedule that leaves soiling in place or unnecessarily removes every familiar scent at once.
What size should the cage be?
The CARA community charter proposes 18000 cm² of combined usable horizontal area for two or three degus, not necessarily 18000 cm² of base footprint. Its suggested dimensions and additional levels are planning guidance, not a legal or scientifically validated universal minimum. A generous continuous floor area, safe height and good layout remain important.
What can I provide for digging?
A deep, safe container of suitable bedding and hay, or appropriately managed coconut coir, can provide digging opportunities. Around 30 cm of substrate is a useful enrichment goal where practical; manage dust, moisture, hygiene and escape risk.
What temperature do degus need?
A stable, moderate indoor temperature around 20°C is commonly suitable. Heat risk increases in the high 20 s, but sunlight, humidity, ventilation, health and acclimatisation matter. Degus are not immune to cold. Heatstroke is an emergency.
Do degus need a wheel?
A safe solid running wheel provides useful exercise. Around 33 cm is a starting reference, but choose a larger wheel if needed to allow a natural back posture. Avoid mesh, bars, trapping gaps and unsafe supports.
What nesting material can I offer?
Plain, unscented paper tissues or kitchen paper and suitable hay allow nest building. Avoid long fibres, strings and materials that can entangle the limbs.
Which bedding should I avoid?
Avoid dusty, strongly aromatic, fragranced or poorly absorbent products. Wood bedding varies by species and processing, so assess the exact product rather than declaring every wood shaving equivalent.
Can degus live outdoors?
Outdoor housing requires a secure, weatherproof, predator-proof and escape-proof enclosure with protected retreats, appropriate temperatures and careful acclimatisation. A wild burrow’s climate does not guarantee that a pet hutch is safe. Digging, heat, cold and damp all need to be addressed.
Do degus need sand baths?
Suitable low-dust bathing sand supports coat care and allows scent-related social behaviour. Keep it clean and remove it temporarily if your veterinarian advises this for a wound or illness.
Health
How can I tell if my degu is sick?
Watch for reduced appetite or droppings, weight loss, lethargy, altered posture or breathing, and changes in normal behaviour. Weigh healthy adults regularly, commonly weekly. Breathing difficulty or refusal to eat requires prompt veterinary advice.
Do degus need regular checkups with a vet?
Preventive examinations are useful even without a known chronic condition. Agree an appropriate schedule with a veterinarian experienced with degus; dental disease and other problems may be subtle.
Why do degus get diabetes?
Diabetes involves persistently abnormal glucose regulation due to impaired insulin production, action or both. Degus have particular insulin biology, and an unsuitable sugary diet can increase avoidable risk, but disease is not simply an inability to eliminate insulin.
What are the signs of diabetes in degus?
Excessive thirst, cataracts, and weight loss are typical signs. Only a veterinarian can confirm the diagnosis after appropriate tests.
How can dental problems be prevented in degus?
Provide suitable hay and fibrous plants, a balanced mineral intake and appropriate veterinary checks. Chewing wood mainly involves the incisors and does not replace chewing fibrous food for cheek-tooth wear. Do not add calcium supplements or restrict food without advice.
Why is my degu losing its fur?
Degus typically shed twice per year. The process can appear more or less intense depending on their coat color. However, if bald patches appear, it might be due to stress, boredom, over-grooming, or parasites.
Do degus suffer from respiratory problems?
Yes. Dental disease is one possible cause, but infection, heart disease and other problems must also be considered. Breathing difficulty, especially mouth breathing, is an emergency; the veterinarian will choose appropriate examination and imaging.
Why is my degu drinking a lot?
Heat, diet and several illnesses can alter drinking, including diabetes and kidney disease. A persistent change from the animal’s usual intake needs assessment rather than an assumption about the cause.
Do degus need their teeth filed?
Only when a veterinarian identifies a dental problem requiring treatment. Never clip or file the teeth at home. A suitable diet supports normal wear but cannot prevent every dental disorder.
How can I treat mites in degus?
Have the cause confirmed by a veterinarian, who will choose a suitable drug and dose. Products labelled for kittens are not automatically safe for degus; avoid treating the animal or cage indiscriminately.
Reproduction
Should I breed my degus?
This site discourages unnecessary breeding and encourages adoption. Pregnancy and pup care carry responsibilities and risks, and legal requirements differ by jurisdiction; there is no single Europe-wide rule for every private keeper.
Do female degus get pregnant easily?
Repeated pregnancies can occur in favourable captive conditions, including after postpartum mating. A fixed claim of four litters annually should not be treated as normal or desirable husbandry. Separate intact sexes or discuss neutering with your veterinarian.
How can I tell if my female degu is pregnant?
Gestation lasts roughly three months. Progressive weight gain may suggest pregnancy, but it is not diagnostic; a veterinarian can assess the female and advise on care.
How many babies are in a degu litter?
On average, there are four to six pups per litter, but a female can have up to ten.
At what age should baby degus be separated?
Separate sexes in time to prevent breeding, after reliable sexing and repeat checks. The dental study recommends at least six weeks before weaning; complete tooth occlusion by day 72 is not a universal weaning age. Keep young animals with suitable same-sex companions and plan individually.
When should I separate the male from the female?
Separate an intact male before an expected birth or immediately on discovering an unexpected litter. Females may become fertile again postpartum; a universal 50% risk should not be assumed. A recently neutered male also needs the veterinarian’s prescribed separation period.
How can I tell the sex of a degu?
Males have a larger gap between the urinary cone and the anus, while females have visible vaginal lips.
Other practical questions
Which vet should I choose for a degu?
Choose a veterinarian experienced in small herbivorous exotic mammals, ideally with specific degu experience. In an emergency, contact the nearest available veterinary service promptly.
Can a degu be potty trained?
No, degus can’t control their droppings like some other pets. However, some may naturally choose a few preferred spots for urinating.
Do degus recognize their owners?
Degus can learn to recognise familiar caregivers and respond to their voices, scent and routines. Individual responses vary.
How much water does a degu drink?
Intake varies with body size, food moisture, temperature and health;20 ml is not a universal maximum. Fresh water must always be available. Historical deprivation experiments are not husbandry guidance.
Why do degus eat their droppings?
Degus ingest some of their droppings as part of their digestive behaviour. Do not equate this automatically with the same soft-caecotroph system described in rabbits; faecal consumption can contribute to nutrient recovery.
What is tail loss in degus?
Tail slip is traumatic tearing away of the skin, sometimes with loss of part of the tail. It does not regrow. Seek prompt veterinary care and never grip or lift a degu by its tail.
How can I weigh my degu?
Place your degu inside a small transport box, weigh both the box and the empty container, then subtract to get your degu’s weight.
How can I travel with degus?
Use a secure, ventilated carrier, protect against heat, check the animals regularly and plan reliable water access. Keep the carrier closed while travelling and open it only in a secure place when necessary.
Sources
Kubiak, M. (Ed.) (2021). Handbook of Exotic Pet Medicine. Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119389934
Edwards, M. S. (2009). Nutrition and Behavior of Degus (Octodon degus). Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice, 12(2), 237-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvex.2009.01.003
Iske, C. & Cook, D. (2025). Critical Care Tips and Tricks. Oxbow Animal Health. https://oxbowanimalhealth.com/blog/critical-care-tips-and-tricks/