Buyer question
Is a degu good for beginners?
It can be: our Animal Library rates the Degu 3 out of 5 for beginners (fine with research first).
Source: the Agouti degu page in the Everybarn Animal Library. Degu in the Animal Library
The detail
The agouti degu is the wild-type color of a social, daytime rodent from central Chile, brown with a pale belly and a tufted tail. Degus are clever, chatty and long-lived, but they need a group, a sugar-free diet and a chew-proof metal cage.
- Best fit
- Patient owners who like daytime pets
- Handling
- 3 out of 5 (Tames slowly, dislikes grabs)
- Care load
- 3 out of 5 (Hay, dust baths, chew-proofing)
What to weigh
Degus live five to eight years, chew through almost anything and cannot handle sugar. They are awake by day and need company of their own kind.