It can be difficult to determine the sex of a chinchilla because the reproductive anatomy of males and females is very similar.If you only have one chinchilla, it doesn't matter if it's male or female.If you want a second chinchilla, you need to know the sex of both of them.Unless you plan to get into breeding, same-sex pairs of chinchillas are the best.
Step 1: Lift your chinchilla.
Chinchillas prefer to be safe when being picked up.Place your hand under your chinchilla's chest and use your other hand to support its back legs.If you hold your chinchilla close to your body, it will feel safer.Bring your chinchilla to your chest and let it rest on it's paws.Add more security to your chinchilla by cupping your hands.When handling a chinchilla, always use both hands.
Step 2: A loose grip is maintained.
Chinchilla's delicate spine and ribs can easily be broken.If you hold your chinchilla too tightly, it could hurt the animal or cause stress.Keep your fingers away from the chinchilla's mouth.If you are bitten by a nervous chinchilla, you can either drop it or squeeze it too tightly.
Step 3: The tail should be avoided where it connects to the body.
The base of a chinchilla's tail is a sensitive spot for the animal, and if you grab its fur here, it may come out.The chinchilla's tail can be broken or damaged.This is a good place to briefly hold your chinchilla.If your chinchilla is not yet comfortable with being held, you want to avoid it.Chinchillas may lose their tails if they are forcefully held.Your chinchilla won't grow back if it loses its tail.
Step 4: After chinchillas are born, wait several days.
It can be hard to tell the difference between males and females when they are newborn.Newborn chinchillas require more delicate handling.If you want to confirm the sex of the baby chinchillas, you need to check once a few days after birth.Male kits should be separated from their mother younger than female kits.Female chinchillas can be aggressive towards males, and the mother may kill her male kits after they've been weaned.
Step 5: There is a chinchilla's tail.
If you want to know the sex of your chinchilla, hold it on its back in your hands, or hold its head and shoulders down, so that its tail sticks up in the air.Your chinchilla won't like being in either position.Make sure your chinchilla doesn't get stressed by the experience by being as quick as possible.
Step 6: The space between the anus and genitals should be checked.
Female chinchillas have a larger space between their anus and genitalia.There won't be a lot of hair growing in this area.It's difficult to determine the sex of a chinchilla using external genitalia because the clitoris is the same size as the penis.Both sexes of chinchillas have nipples.There isn't much space between the anus and the vulva in most female chinchillas.If you have more than one chinchilla, you should compare the space between it and the sex of it.
Step 7: The skin should be pressed towards the chinchilla's head.
Sometimes a chinchilla's penis can lay flat against the skin, making it difficult to tell how much space there is between the genitalia and the anus.The penis will lift if you press the skin above it towards the chinchilla's head.The genitals won't move if your chinchilla is female.This shows the sex of your chinchilla.
Step 8: To confirm its sex, take your chinchilla to the vet.
If you're not sure about your chinchilla's sex, a vet can check it out for you.Find a vet who works with exotic pets and has treated chinchillas.If you bring your chinchilla to the vet for the first time, he or she will conduct fecal and blood tests to check for internal parasites.No vaccinations are required for pet chinchillas.
Step 9: The animal's temperament should be evaluated.
Female chinchillas are more aggressive than males.If the chinchilla seems territorial towards you or other animals, it may be a female.Females get along with other females, but can be more aggressive towards males.
Step 10: During mating season, watch chinchilla interactions.
In the northern and southern hemispheres, mating season runs from November through May and from May through November.During this time, males will attempt to mount females.Females may attempt to fight off males, and a strong female may even kill a smaller male chinchilla.Females will not be aggressive towards other females.Female chinchillas are in heat for 2 days out of the month.The female chinchilla may be more aggressive than usual during those 2 days.
Step 11: There are different sizes of chinchillas.
The bigger animals in the group are likely to be the females.The female chinchilla tends to grow larger than the male.The size difference between male and female chinchillas is small.It may be hard to tell them apart.