Octodon degus is a diurnal and social rodent inhabiting central Chile. The typical habitat is semi-arid with sparse vegetation, composed of some trees and shrub species, making those sites more protected from predators, and also there are areas with vegetation composed only by different herbs species with no large vegetation, where degus are less protected from aerial predators (see Vásquez 1997, Vásquez et al. 2002, Ebensperger & Hurtado 2005). These rodents build and use underground burrows overnight, pup breeding, food storing and anti-predator protection. Typical populations in central Chile comprises tens of burrow systems, where different burrow systems are connected above ground by a system of runways (Vásquez et al. 2002). These runways are highly conspicuous because frequent use by degus leads to bare ground along the runways (Fulk, 1976, Vásquez et al. 2002). Degus usually use the runways to move between distant locations within their home range, and they leave the runways only to forage or to engage in social activities, particularly away from burrow openings. Although most populations are located under 1,000 m a.s.l., there are some populations living up to 2,600 m a.s.l. (see Quispe et al. 2009, Ebensperger et al 2012). The geographic distribution of degus ranges from Huasco river in the north (latitude 28° 30’ S), with a desertic climate and populations located nearby river and creeks to the Maule river in the south (latitude 35° 30’ S), with a Mediterranean climate.
