Which Sex Is Your Gerbil

Gerbils are social animals that love and enjoy being in the company of pairs and groups, and so as a pet gerbil owner, you should get more than one.

How can you differentiate the male from female gerbils once you get them? This implies that gerbils are not entirely of one particular sex, meaning that there are male gerbils and female gerbils.

Male Sex

Males gerbils are very different from female gerbils based on their functions and behaviors.

If you plan on breeding them or you want them as pets, it is still essential that you can differentiate them. Being able to tell one sex from another is an issue that arises all the time, but it is not as difficult as it seems.

What Age Can You Tell?

You can tell the difference between gerbils when they are five months and above—checking for the differences between gerbils to referred to as 'sexing.'

Sexing your gerbils are simple, and here's how to. Start by placing the gerbil in your left hand and then raise it by its tail. If the urethra and anus are very close, it is a female gerbil, but it is a male gerbil if they are far apart. Also, male gerbils have a noticeable lump at the base of their tail(scrotum), and females have prominent nipples.

The male scent's glands on its stomach are also more pronounced. Sexing among gerbils can be done at any age. The distance between male and female gerbils' urethra anus is more significant, while juveniles are most effectively sexed by looking for their nipples.

Doing all these could be very important in choosing male gerbils from female gerbils. Asides from the method above, you can differentiate male gerbils from females through their sizes, behavioral differences, and sex differences. 

The Differences Between Male And Female

Male and female gerbils have a subtle difference in their behaviors. Several owners believe female gerbils are docile while male gerbils are friendlier. The friendliness regards the gerbil, and its owner as male gerbils enjoyed being held and are often less nippy.

Simultaneously, female gerbils do not fight as much as female gerbils do as they coexist better than females. However, this cannot be used to tell the difference between a male and a female gerbil. This is because an unfriendly gerbil isn't necessarily female, and a friendly one isn't necessarily male.

Notwithstanding, their behavioral difference might be a hint or clue towards its sex. You might also notice that they are mounting one another. This might lead to the presumption that the male gerbil is mounting on the female. But note that same-sex mounting is standard among gerbils. 

Male Animals Are Usually Bigger

In many animals, their sexes can be differentiated according to their sizes. But that doesn't relate to gerbils. An adult gerbil is usually about four inches on average. The tail adds like 4 inches extra to the total size. The females and males are generally not the same sizes, but the difference is not so much.

You might notice it, and you might not see it, such that it is not enough to tell them apart. A large gerbil can be a male, and it might also be a female. This difference is that males need to fight more than females. They are to fight over mating rights, but that doesn't change the fact that females' gerbils fight. It is the natural selection that makes male gerbils bigger.  

Male And Female Sex Organs

When it comes to gerbils' sexual organs, it is the primary signifier that tells a male gerbil from a female gerbil. Females have a vagina, and the males have a scrotum and penis like in other animals. Also, the female gerbil has an internal organ that assists in creating and developing pups; babies.

The organs include ovaries that produce eggs and a womb where the puppies are developed. Males don't have those organs but have testes that produce sperm. The bigger the testes, the more sperm they make, so they are more extensive. These differences are internal, so they wouldn't be seen unless they are dissected, clearly not an option. The scrotum also has a large bulge at the tail base, and that's not found in females.

The swelling would be evident at six weeks of age, and they can be seen at least two weeks earlier. Females then have nipples, but it might not be found easily as the gerbils are covered in fur. But when you are sexing a baby gerbil, you can easily see. Female gerbils have eight nipples, in which there are four on each side between the front legs and the rear legs.

Male Nipples

The frontmost two are the easiest to see, a location similar to those of a person. Male gerbils do not have nipples at all, so the presence of two small, slightly darker dots for females. The nipples are one of the easiest ways to sex a juvenile gerbil. It is also easy to feel and see these nipples on a gerbil, and it is non-invasive. However, in adult gerbils, the fur makes it difficult to see the nipples as they are a lot. 

If your gerbils do not like being held, sexing them won't be easy because they might try to get away from you. They may not want to be placed on their back, and you should not dangle them by their tail as it can damage their tails or let them fall off.

Instead of picking them up, you can place them inside a clear plastic tub with some air holes. You could put the tub in their enclosure with some food to lure them in and then hold the tube over your head, so you can see what's at the underside. When you do this, make sure you do not flip the tube upside down with the gerbil inside.

You can then keep your gerbil comfortable by moving the tub slowly but firmly. Once again, in whatever you do, please ensure you do not tug your gerbil's tail when sexing it to avoid severe damage.  

Other Questions

What are female, male, kids, and groups of gerbils called?

A female gerbil is called a doe. Males are bucks. However, most gerbil fanciers call them males and females. Babies are called pups. A group of gerbils is called a horde. Some animal species can change sex from male to female or female to male. This is known as sequential hermaphroditism.

However, gerbils do not and cannot change from one sex to another. Any sex a gerbil is born with remains with it till the day it stops existing. Gerbils reproduce sexually, so a doe has to mate with a buck to produce pups. 

Do gerbils have a period? 

Female gerbils are the ones to produce young gerbils and to do this. They have something called 'period.' The 'period' in gerbils is a sign of fertility and an indication that the species' female gerbil can have babies. Rest assured that it is possible you may not have noticed the fertile gerbils experiencing a period.

A period in gerbils does not mean a menstrual cycle but an estrous cycle that dictates when mating is. The lining of a female gerbil's womb is reabsorbed, not expelled, which does not negatively affect fertility. This is contrary to some wrong notions flying around that it does affect their fertility.

Do Gerbils know their names? 

Gerbils are social and smart animals, and among the several things they can catch up to fast is learning their names. They love to bond with the animals through sight, smell and touch. Thus, they can realize their names through positive affirmations from their owners.

It can be actualized by the owners giving them treats, repetitive exposure to the skill, and contact with their owners. Using these methods lets your gerbils know that leaving their cage is safe and secure; hence they can also answer