How to Determine Sex in Hamsters

Find out if your hamster is male or female.

Determine the sex of pet hamsters before purchasing to avoid the chances of breeding once they are brought into your home. Determining the sex of the hamster(s) that are in your care could also be economically important if you cannot afford to feed an abundance of offspring. There are two simple methods for determining the sex of the hamster. One for docile hamsters and one for wild, untrained or hyper hamsters. If your hamster is prone to biting, try the clear box method.

Things You'll Need

• A clear plastic small pet carrier or container

Instructions

1. Pick the hamster up and hold it at an angle that will allow you to see the genital area.

2. Look for large testicles protruding past the back of the hamsters body. Males will have large testicles. Females will have a point near the base of the tail and the perianal area is also smaller in females.

3. For difficult-to-handle hamsters, you can use another method. Place one hamster in a small clear box with no bedding material. Look at the bottom of the box and thus the belly area of the hamster to see if large testicles are visible. If so the hamster is a boy, if not it is a girl.

Tips & Warnings

• It is much easier to sex older or adult hamsters. If they are still babies, you may not be able to tell between males and females very easily, and may make a mistake in determining their sex. Determining the sex of your pet hamsters is important for many reasons, so always buy adults from a reputable pet store or breeder.

• It is a good rule not to keep two male adult hamsters together, or two female adult hamsters together in the same cage. As most hamsters reach adulthood, they become more solitary. They will become territorial and aggressive toward each other and will begin to fight, which can lead to injury or death.

References

• The Humane Society of the United States: How to Sex Small Mammals

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish