The Differences Between Male & Female Gerbils

Whether you have bred a litter of baby gerbils, or have just bought two or more new gerbils, it's important to be able to tell the difference between males and females. Even if you have been told that you've bought males or females, it's a good idea to double-check, to avoid unwanted breeding.

  1. Size

    • Adult male gerbils, in general, are larger than adult females. However, this isn't always an entirely accurate way of telling the difference between genders because sizes can vary for other reasons. You would also need another adult gerbil, of known gender, to compare your gerbil to, which may not be particularly practical.

    Nipples

    • In gerbil pups of about 11 days old, you can see the difference between the males and females with reference to their nipples. Female pups have tiny circles of bare skin where their nipples will develop, but males don't have these. As the pups get older, and their coat gets longer and thicker, you can no longer tell the difference this way. Once gerbils reach adulthood, you can once again differentiate males from females in this way because adult female gerbils have more pronounced nipples than males.

    Urethra

    • In gerbils of about 3 weeks and older, you can tell the difference between males and females by looking at the distance between their urethra and their anus. Hold your gerbil in one hand, lift its tail with your other hand and observe the area. In females, the urethra and anus are very close together. However, a male gerbil's urethra and anus are much farther apart from each other.

    Scrotal Bulge

    • Male gerbils of six weeks and older have a scrotal bulge, whereas females do not. Put your gerbil on a flat surface or hold it in your hand and gently lift its back end and look at the area around the base of its tail. In adult male gerbils, the scrotal bulge will be pronounced and obvious to observe. It's also present in pups, but is smaller so you'll have to look more closely.