# Common degu (*Octodon degus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-degu  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The common degu (Octodon degus), also called the degu, is a rodent in the family Octodontidae, part of the suborder Hystricomorpha. It is a small, terrestrial, diurnal herbivore with a representative adult body mass of 210 g. Gestation lasts 90 days, litters average 5.3 young, there are 1.8 litters per year, and sexual maturity comes at 184.6 days. Its lifespan is given as 7.1 years, with up to 14 years reported, and it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 204.8 g – 210 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 7.1 years |
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 14 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 90.1 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 5.31 |
| Age at maturity | 5.98 months – 6.15 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.8 |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Rodentia
- family: Octodontidae
- genus: Octodon
- species: *Octodon degus* (Molina, 1782)

Synonyms: *Sciurus degus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the common degu?

The common degu is a rodent, a mammal in the family Octodontidae and the suborder Hystricomorpha.

### How heavy is a common degu?

An adult common degu has a representative body mass of 210 g, which places it in the small size class.

### What does the common degu eat?

The common degu is a herbivore.

### How long does a common degu live?

Its lifespan is given as 7.1 years, with values up to 14 years reported.

### Is the common degu endangered?

No. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How many young does a common degu have?

A litter averages 5.3 young, with 1.8 litters per year after a gestation of 90 days.

### When does a common degu reach sexual maturity?

It reaches sexual maturity at 184.6 days, with reported values from 182 to 187.2 days.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Common degu (Octodon degus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-degu