Degus live in arid areas with sparse vegetation which is why they are used to a meagre diet and are not able to process sugar. That is why they have been used as test animals in diabetes research. Since the mid-1970s the cute, agile, diurnal and socially living small animals have become popular pets. When feeding them fruits and other sugary foods should be avoided in order to prevent diabetes.
Category: Mammal
Size: head to barrel 12-20 cm; tail 10-16 cm
Age: 5 years
Sexually mature: ♀ with 6 weeks; ♂ with 3 month
gestation period: 87-93 days
food: grasses, herbs, leaves, seeds, bark, tubers
habitat: grass, bush and rocky landscapes, at heights up to 1200 meters
Danger: not endangered
distribution: Northern half of Chile, on the Western slopes of the Andes up to about 1200 m altitude
distribution area
