Identifying Hamster Sex

Do you know how to determine gender of your hamsters? Well, it's pretty easy to identify (as long as you know how) especially when they are sexually matured. (Easier to say I think because I did mixed up my hammys once).

Basically the male exhibits large, pronounced testicles and scrotal sack, and the anogenital distance is greater. The opposite is true for the female, as in most rodent species, where the anogenital distance is less than that if the male.

If the task of peeking their genital by holding them is too tricky (the hamster might be too active or aggressive for you to handle) you can use the 'transparent box' technique. First thing you need to do is to find a transparent box. Once you got it, carefully hold your hamster and transfer it into the box. From there you can simply take a peek underneath the box.

In males, try to look for large testicles underneath its body. There is also a bigger gap between the perineal area (area between the genitals and the anus) and it looks more rounded. Whereas in females, this perineal area comes to a point at the base of the tail.

Another great way to identify the gender is to look for punctuation. Yes, punctuation!! You read that right…you will usually find that a female sexual and anal organs are lined up like an exclamation point. Take a look at your hamster now and you will be surprised that I'm right. But if you notice two dots in a row that resemble a colon mark, then you've got a male on your hands.

Take a look at the picture and see the difference.