Do you ever wonder if your hamster is a boy or girl?It's important to figure it out if you have more than one hamster and you don't want them to breed.Sexing a hamster requires a few steps, including figuring out what to look for.After you find out the sex of your hamster, you will know if you have a boy or girl.
Step 1: Wait for the right time to examine the hamster.
You have to look at the underside and hind end of your hamster to determine sex.Wait until the hamster is alert and relaxed to examine it.It's a good idea to grab a sleeping or stressed hamster.Try to give your hamster some attention.petting your hamster and making him or her feel at ease will help make this process go smoothly, as hamsters don't like being turned upside down.
Step 2: Work over a large bowl or box with a towel.
If the hamster moves away from you, this will give it a soft landing.It will keep your hamster contained at the same time, so that it doesn't fall and then run away.
Step 3: Take care of the hamster.
Do not startle the hamster and approach it calmly.Place the palm of one hand over the hamster with your thumb and forefinger resting above the shoulder blades.To keep the hamster from biting you, gently grasp the loose skin just above the shoulders between your thumb and forefinger.Don't try to lift the animal by the scruff alone.The scruff can cause the eyes to pop out of the sockets if you hold it too tightly.
Step 4: Pick the hamster up.
To support the animal's body, use the rest of the hand.Use your free hand to support the weight of the hamster and then turn it over so that it rests in the palm of your hand.At this point, its entire body should be supported.
Step 5: Determine the size of the hamster.
Males are bigger than females.If you don't have another hamster to compare with, you may not be able to determine the sex of your hamster.If you have other hamsters, you can compare their sizes.This isn't a definitive test, but it will tell you if your hamster is male or female.Female hamsters have a rounded bottom, while an older male hamster has a pointed back end.
Step 6: Near where the tail is located, look at the hamster's underside.
Sex differences are easy to see in adult hamsters, and they usually reach sexual maturity by 35 days of age.Males have testicles that make their rumps bulge and females have blunt rear ends.
Step 7: Take a look at your pet's abdomen for nipples.
It is male if you see testicles.If you can't see testicles or nipples, it's female.There are six pairs of nipples.In dwarf hamsters, the male has a scent glands.The umbilical area is where the yellow glands are located in the mature male.The middle of the abdomen is where you would expect a belly button to be.If you don't know if you have a male or female hamster, the animal may not be mature enough.
Step 8: The underside of the hamster has two openings.
These look like small pink circles and may be raised around the edges.The anus is under the tail and the urological opening is above it in the center of the abdomen.
Step 9: Measure the distance between the anus and the Urogenital opening.
Sex differences are more difficult to spot in very young pups, but it is possible to have sex with a pup by looking at the distance between its anus and its uterus.The openings are very close in females.You may not be able to tell them apart because the anus seems to be a single opening or structure.There is a separation between the anus and the uterus in males.If you have a male, you may see small swellings in the groin area.The testicles are growing.
Step 10: If you're not sure, check the hamster again.
If you can only find one opening, especially if it seems large, it's a good idea to consult an experienced exotics vet just in case you missed the second opening.If you are working with a tiny dwarf hamster, this opening can be subtle in a young male.Syrian hamsters are solitary and need to be kept in individual cages, so early sexing is not important.There are single-sex groups for dwarf hamsters.If you have pups in a single-sex group, you need to keep an eye on them.Accidental pregnancies are a problem in your group.