How to determine the gender of a Dzungarian hamster?

When buying a Dzungarian hamster at a pet store, few people ask themselves what gender the new pet is. And even if the owner is interested in the sex of the pet, in the store he can be deceived. Even the merchants themselves seldom know how to tell a girl from a boy for sure. Let's try to figure out how to determine the gender of a Dzungarian hamster and what it is for.

The difference between the female and the male is as important an issue as the issue of feeding and caring for a hamster. Knowing the sex of the purchased pet is necessary for the following reasons.

• Sometimes the owner plans to breed dzungariks, and then the question of gender becomes the main thing in this matter. Buying two same-sex animals will not work. There are also reverse situations. Perhaps the owner of one animal wants to add a friend or girlfriend to him, but is afraid of uncontrolled reproduction, and therefore tries to choose a pet of the same sex. By the way, this is not a very reasonable approach, Dzungarian hamsters are solitary animals that do not tolerate another partner on their territory. Most likely, two same-sex residents will regularly fight, take away treats from each other. Most likely, one of them will settle down next to the house, since the neighbor will not let the new tenant inside. Perhaps, over time, some of the animals will be left without a tail or even without one leg.
• Even if the owner was lucky, and he got a boy and a girl, then soon the sale or return of little hamsters will come. Perhaps the future buyer will also need an animal of a certain gender, and then the seller will be able to show all the guys and girls with confidence.
• It is no secret that Dzungariki breed very quickly, and there is a high probability of buying a pregnant female in the store. If the owner does not need the babies, then it is better to immediately acquire a male, so that in a few weeks you will not receive a surprise in the form of an unnecessary offspring.
• It is important to know the sex of the animal in order to choose a suitable name for it. You can choose a neutral nickname, but it will still be correct to name the animal in accordance with its gender.

Little hamsters are almost impossible to distinguish by gender. Determining the sex becomes real after the rodents are four weeks old.

Let the cubs develop normally in their first month, get used to an active lifestyle, and run in a wheel.

To make it easier to determine the sex of your pet in the future, avoid obesity in the first weeks of life. To throw out all the energy and calories, the hamster must run several kilometers a day. It is possible to settle babies in separate cells at the age of 35-40 days. During this period, it is recommended to determine the sex of the rodents.

If further offspring are not planned, then it is important to separate boys and girls into separate cells.

That's why it is better to plant the family in individual dwellings... In addition, it is important for each hamster to provide a certain area of ​​the cage, and a small structure is not suitable for keeping five individuals at once.

Prevent growing your Dzungarian hamster in a jar... Some people think that there is enough space for him. In fact, in such a small area, the hamster will constantly lack vigorous activity, which means that it will not live long. Do not forget that Dzungariki breed with enviable regularity, and therefore do not leave two opposite-sex individuals in the same cage, even for a short time, if you do not need offspring. This applies not only to brothers and sisters, but also to parents with children.

By the way, the hamsters do not care about moral problems, but the hamsters, which are the result of the love of two relatives, can turn out to be inferior, and the more often the owner receives offspring from relatives from generation to generation, the worse the genetics will be, and the weaker the babies will be born, while the genus will not die out at all. Sometimes rodent females, having acquired inferior offspring, simply eat their own cubs. In this regard, it is very important to know the sex of the pets.

Pay attention to the condition of the coat. Some believe that males have thicker and longer fur. However, this sign is by no means one hundred percent, since basically the state of the coat depends on the health indicators of the pet, the conditions of its keeping. If an animal with rare fur is sold in a store, you should not think that it is a female. Perhaps this is what a boy who was kept in poor-quality conditions looks like. It is also believed that the shape of the back in the male is pointed, and in the female it is rounded.

It is believed that female Dzungariki are more active and mobile. They rarely sit in one place, rush around the cage like a whirlwind, and actively use the running wheel. Some ladies turn out to be more aggressive than males and do not tame well. But this sign is also indirect. When determining sex, you should not rely only on the behavior of the pet, since there are quite energetic boys or girls with a calm disposition.

Studying the genitals of rodents is the most accurate method for determining the sex of a pet.As soon as the babies have reached the age of one month, the boys may have testicles located near the base of the tail. If you press lightly on the belly, then they will be even more pronounced. The distance from the genitals to the anus in adult boys is 1-1.5 cm, and in girls - 3 mm. On the guy's abdomen, you can see a gland that looks like a navel - with this part male hamsters mark their territory.

Gender differences are the primary method for determining gender, and behavioral and physical differences can serve as complementary methods.

Experts in the field of breeding Dzungarian hamsters give their recommendations for determining the sex of pets.

• Do not try to find out the gender of a jungarik until he is at least three weeks old. Trying to discern sexual characteristics, the owner runs the risk of harming the fragile hamster, whose body is still being formed.
• To make out the genitals, gently grasp the adult animal with your fingers by the scruff of the neck and lift it up. So the body of the fluffy pet is in an extended position, and the sexual characteristics become more visible.
• You can try to see the floor in a less stressful way for the animal. Place the rodent on its back in your palm and hold it securely but very carefully with your thumb so as not to hurt. To calm down an animal disturbed by such manipulations, you can gently stroke its abdomen, and then the parts of interest will be clearly visible.
• If, nevertheless, there is a need to determine the sex of a small cub, then you can gently touch it at the location of the genitals. Boys have small swellings in the groin area - future testicles.
• Pay attention to the size of the pet. Females are usually larger and more plump than their partners.

Observing the behavior of a hamster and noticing its passivity or aggression, you should not draw conclusions regarding gender. Both aggression and excessive calmness are more often associated with the health of the pet. Noticing that the animal has lost its appetite or has begun to bite the owner's fingers, take the hamster to the veterinarian, perhaps the rodent has caught a cold, is poisoned, or is deficient in vitamins.

You will learn how to determine the sex of a hamster in the video below.