How to Sex a Hamster

Have you just picked up two hamsters from the pet store, thinking they were both female? Well you should probably double check, as surprise hamster babies can be a handful. Follow these easy steps to determine the gender of your beloved hamsters.

Ad

Method 1 of 2: Assessing Your Hamster

1. 1
   Give your hamster a treat and some attention. Hamsters don’t like being turned upside down (which is exactly what you’re going to do) so petting your hamster and making him/her feel at ease will help this process go smoothly. If you are a new hamster owner, some recommended treats include:

   • Pieces of hard-boiled egg, bits of broccoli, pits of cooked potato and slices of apple are all good treats to give your hammie.^[1]
   Ad
2. 2
   Pick your hamster up. In order to find out what your hamster’s gender is, you will need to pick your hamster up and flip him/her over. Be very gentle when you do this, as hamsters can get agitated when they feel threatened (such as when they are held belly-up.) Pet and soothe your hamster as best you can during this process. If it helps, give him/her a treat to munch on.
3. 3
   Look at his/her backside. You will want to look at the underside of your hamster near where the tail is located. Be cautious while holding your hamster, as he/she might attempt to escape or claw you.
4. 4
   Look for two pink dots near the tail. One of these pink dots, the one further back towards the tail, is the anus. The other dot is either the hamster’s penis or vulva (depending on the gender. You most likely won’t be able to tell one from the other, so to find determine your need to look at the distance between the two dots. If the dots are very close together, it is a girl! If they are far apart, it is a boy!^[2]

   • Often, the dots on girls are so close together that they will look like one larger dot.
5. 5
   Pet your hamster and give it a treat. Now that you have determined his/her gender, you can go on petting your hammie or you can put your fuzzy friend back in his/her cage.
   Ad

Method 2 of 2: Finding Other Physical Features

1. 1
   Wait for your hamster to mature slightly. Nipples and testicles on hamsters become much more apparent as hamsters age. If you have just purchased a hamster that is a month old, or older, you will be able to determine your hammie’s sex by finding these physical characteristics, as well as looking at the pink dots listed in Method One.
2. 2
   Find nipples on female hamsters. Female hamsters generally have two rows of nipples located on their bellies. In order to find them, you will have to hold your hamster so that her belly is facing up. Run your finger along her belly so that her fur is parted. You should be able to see and feel little bumps, indicating nipples.

   • If you hamster is older and has previously given birth, her nipples will be much more pronounced and easier to locate.
3. 3
   Find testicles on male hamsters. As male hamsters age, their testicles grow larger. If you hold him on his back, you will be able to see two swellings near the penile opening (the pink dot further from the hamster’s tail.)^[2]

   • When you look at an older male hamster from above, you may notice that his back end is more pointed and hiked-up, whereas female hamsters have a rounded bottom.
   • Some male hamsters will retract their testicles. You will have to look closely for the two swollen areas on your hamster’s underside.
4. 4
   Separate male and female hamsters. Once you determine your hamster's gender, you should separate male and female hamsters if you do not intend to breed them. If you do not do this, is it almost guaranteed that your female hamster will become pregnant.

   • It is often best to keep all hamsters in their own cages. Some breeds, like Syrian hamsters, have a tendency to fight with other adult hamsters.