DEGU

(species Octodon degus), the sole diurnal rodent in the family Octodontidae (order Rodentia), found in the grasslands of Peru and Chile. The degu is about 23 to 36 cm (10 to 13 inches) long, including the black-tipped tail, and weighs from 170 to 300 g (6 to 10.5 ounces). Its brownish gray fur is tinted with orange, and a pale yellow spot surrounds its eye. Degus construct and share complex burrow systems; several females may raise their precocial young in one nest. The degu is often an agricultural pest.