Home

>

Small Animals

>

How-To Guides

>

How to Tell if a Hamster is a Male or Female

How to Tell if a Hamster is a Male or Female

Updated on March 20, 2024
Reviewer Profile Photo
Reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care
Education and Compliance (ACE) Team
hamster

Whether you’re picking a name for your furry friend or you’ve decided to raise two hamsters together (remember, hamsters are solitary animals, so they most will prefer that you are their only friend), it is important to know whether your hamster is a male or female. Let’s walk through the steps needed to help identify your hamster as male or female.

Holding Your Hamster to Determine Its Sex

  1. Make sure your hamster is awake and calm
  2. Speak to them softly while picking them up from behind, with your hand cupping their back
  3. Hold your hamster in an upright position
  4. While you inspect their genitals, monitor your hamster for signs of agitation or distress
  5. If your hamster continuously tries to bite you or seems overly distressed, try offering them a treat or inspecting them another time

 

Syrian FemaleSyrian Male


Dwarf FemaleDwarf Male

Male vs Female Hamsters: What’s the Difference?

Smell Although males have larger scent glands, you’re more likely to notice the smell of a female hamster. When females go into heat, they release an unusual smell to attract male hamsters. It’s a noticeable, sometimes unpleasant smell that can help you identify females.

Nipples Like many other pet mammals, female hamsters have six nipples noticeable on their underside while males don’t won’t have any.

Genitalia Take a look at the space between your hamster’s genitalia and their anus: Females have a very short space between the two, and they may look like one organ. Males have more distance between their penile opening and their anus, and you may or may not be able to see their testicles.

Filed Under

Sponsored