A running wheel can flip a degu's rhythm to nocturnal, a study shows
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
The degu (Octodon degus) is naturally a diurnal species. A study published in 2021 by Baño-Otálora, Rol and Madrid in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience shows that an ordinary accessory like a running wheel can flip that rhythm. Our other equipment guidance is gathered in the rodent accessories section.
Contents · 4 sections
A shift driven by exercise-generated heat
Researchers kept degus at different ambient temperatures within their thermoneutral zone (26 to 32°C) while giving them free access to a running wheel. At higher temperatures, the animals gradually shifted their running activity toward the cooler night, to the point of developing two distinct nocturnal patterns depending on how consistently the shift occurred. The leading explanation is thermoregulatory: running generates body heat, and a degu avoids stacking that effort on top of an already warm environment by shifting it to the coolest part of the day.
What this means for the accessory
A degu active at night despite its reputation as a diurnal species is therefore not automatically a sign of distress or illness: in a room that stays warm for much of the year, simply having a wheel available can explain the shift. Two concrete options depending on your goal: if you want to enjoy your degu's company during the day, keep the room cool (see our guide on the right temperature for a rodent) rather than removing the wheel, which remains a genuinely useful exercise accessory; if the room heats up in summer, there is no need to worry about seeing the animal wake up at night to run. One more practical point tied to that same wheel: size matters, an adult degu needs a noticeably larger diameter than a hamster to avoid curving its spine, and the species' long tail makes undersized models particularly unsuitable.
The study's limits
The experiment took place in a laboratory, with a controlled stepwise temperature increase and a small group of degus already used to the wheel; a home room, where temperature fluctuates less predictably, does not exactly reproduce these conditions. The study documents a behavioral change, not a health harm: nothing suggests a degu active at night suffers from it, as long as the rest of its environment stays appropriate.
Frequently asked questions
Should I remove the wheel to keep my degu active during the day?
No: adjusting the room's temperature fits the study better than depriving the animal of an accessory that is useful for its physical activity.
Is a degu active at night unwell?
Not necessarily: this shift can be a normal thermoregulatory response to a warm room combined with wheel access. If in doubt, a vet's opinion is still worthwhile. Find all our guides on the rodent hub.
In our shop, for this use: Hanging chew garland for rabbits and rodents (€17.90) · the whole shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Rodents universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.