Instructions
Hold your hamster up gently so that you can see its genital area. Hamsters can be skittish, so handle them with care. Hold the hamster gently but firmly.
Look at the genital area. You should see two spots above the tail -- the upper spot is the reproductive organ, and the lower spot is the anus. If the upper spot protrudes, or is more prominent than the anus, it's most likely a penis. If the upper spot is less prominent than the lower spot, then it's most likely a vagina.
Observe other details. Male hamsters have testicles. They bulge underneath the fur, and create a relatively wide distance between the sexual organ and the anus. The distance between the two is much shorter on a female hamster. The testicles may also create an illusion of buttocks hanging just below the tail. Female hamsters, on the other hand, have no bulge at all.
How to Tell the Different Genders of Hamsters
Hamsters make ideal pets because they are small and relatively easy to handle. There are about 25 species of hamsters in the world, a few of which are popular as house pets. The two most common types of pet hamsters are the Syrian hamster and the dwarf hamster. Syrian hamsters must be kept in solitude, while dwarf hamsters can be kept in groups. Since hamsters are rodents, they can breed very quickly. If you want to take care of more than one hamster, make sure they're all the same gender.