Try giving your hamster a treat and some attention. Hamsters don’t like being turned upside down (which is exactly what you’re going to do) so petting your hamster and making him or her feel at ease will help this process go smoothly.
Do not pull on the skin or attempt to lift the animal by the scruff alone. [3] X Research source Do not grip the scruff too tightly, either, as this can pull back the eyelids and causes the eyeballs to pop out of the sockets.
When you look at an older male hamster from above, you may notice that his back end is more pointed and hiked-up, whereas female hamsters have a rounded bottom.
In dwarf hamster species, the male also has a very prominent scent gland. In the mature male, this gland usually has a noticeable yellow color and is located in the umbilical area. This area is in the middle of the abdomen about where you would expect a belly button to be. If you cannot tell whether you have a male or female hamster, the animal may not be sexually mature yet.
You may also see small swellings in the groin area if you have a male. These are the growing testicles.
The most common pet hamsters, Syrian hamsters, are solitary and need to be kept in individual cages, so early sexing is not very important. Dwarf hamsters, on the other hand, are kept in single-sex groups. If you have pups in a single-sex group, you need to recheck them often until sex is obvious. This will help you avoid accidental pregnancies in your group.
