It has a long, thin tail with a tufted, black tip, dark sparsely furred ears, and pale grey toes.

[6] When foraging, their ability to detect predators is increased in larger groups,[9] and each animal needs to spend less time in vigilance.

They have an elaborate vocal repertoire comprising up to 15 different sounds,[10] and the young need to be able to hear their mother's calls if the emotional systems in their brains are to develop properly.

[18] Common degu pups are born relatively precocial, fully furred and with eyes open, and their auditory and visual systems are functional at birth.

[24] Throughout much of the year forage is dried[21] and so common degus are specially adapted to a very high fibre intake,[25] and this varies between food types and environmental conditions.

Common degus have been found to have a divergent insulin structure (one of the hormones that regulate blood glucose level) and so are highly susceptible to developing diabetes mellitus when fed regularly on a diet containing free sugars.

[citation needed] Common degus entered the research spotlight due to their unique relationship with sugar and diabetes, but are also studied for a wide variety of other reasons.

Neuroscientists at the Riken Institute in Tokyo, Japan, used common degus for research into tool use in animals with good eye-and-paw coordination, in which they spontaneously learned to use a tiny rake to retrieve out-of-reach seeds.

Degus have the ability to show both diurnal and nocturnal rhythms if the environment permits,[32] allowing a unique opportunity for study.

[36] In elderly common degus, neural markers have been discovered which are remarkably similar to those in humans with Alzheimer's disease, which is the first time this has been seen in a wild-type rodent.

One disadvantage of the common degu as a pet is their predisposition to chewing, due to their continually growing incisor and molar teeth.

[citation needed] Untamed common degus, as with some other small animals kept as pets, can be prone to biting, but their intelligence makes them easy to tame.

This helps common degus in the wild elude capture by predators, but it is painful to the creature and the tail end will not grow back.

[citation needed] Common degus often "groom" their human owners with a gentle nibbling action, and readily bond with any person spending time with them.