Degus are members of the family Octodontidae, and they originated in Chile. In the wild, they live in groups of 5 to 10 animals. Degus feature brown fur, which is tinted with cream. Unlike other rodents, they are diurnal, and they normally sleep at night. If grabbed by the tail, it may come off. The lost tail will never grow again, although this is a minor injury to the animal.