The Family Octodontidae is a group of rodents primarily found in South America, including species such as the degus and octodons. These medium-sized, herbivorous rodents are adapted to burrowing and terrestrial life, often living in complex underground colonies. Octodontids have ever-growing cheek teeth for grinding tough plant material and display social behaviors, including cooperative burrow maintenance and communal living in some species. Many are nocturnal or crepuscular, and some, like the common degu, have been studied for social organization, communication, and aging, making the family important both ecologically and as a model for scientific research.