Rabbits are adorable and highly intelligent animals, which is why they are becoming more and more popular as pets. Likewise, their cute appearance and small size make them good companions for apartments. When you just adopt a rabbit, or when a litter of kits has been born, you may not know the sex of each one, so we'll help you find out.
If you want to discover how to know if my rabbit is male or female, keep reading this article on our site where we tell you how to know the sex of a rabbit.
When can you see the sex of your rabbit?
If you have reached this article, you are probably wondering how to tell if a rabbit is male or female. To begin with, it is important to note that in newborn rabbits it is almost impossible to know the sex, especially if you are inexperienced in it.
However, if you have a couple or a litter, it is very important to know if they are female or male, whether you want to give them up for adoption or to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, as rabbits reproduce quickly and early age.
Now then, when and how to know the sex of a rabbit? It will be from the eighth week that you will be able to examine your kits for indicators of their sex. Rabbits are extremely nervous and easily stressed, so you should handle them carefully at all times.
Later on, 3 months later, the signs that distinguish females from males will be much more evident. If even with the indications that you will see below it is difficult for you to be sure of the sex of your rabbits, we recommend you go to a veterinarian.
During this entire stage, do not forget to offer the best care to newborn rabbits, especially if you have just adopted one and, for whatever reason, it does not live with its mother. Now that you know the moment that will help you know if a rabbit is male or female, we will continue to see more details about it.
Now that we have more clues on how to tell if a rabbit is male or female, let's keep reading for more details.
How to know if your rabbit is male?
How to know the sex of a rabbit? To find out if a rabbit is male or female, the ideal is to place the rabbit on its back to examine it more comfortably. You can sit and put it on your knees, or place it on a table in the same position.
You'll see the stomach and belly first, and closer to the tail two holes In males, these holes are widely spaced each. Very close to the tail you will identify the anus, and if it is a male, the hole that follows will be in the shape of a circle and will be separated from the previous one. This could be enough to be sure, at 8 weeks, that it is a male.
If you have a little more experience raising rabbits, you can very carefully pull the tail out and press very gently on the second hole. If it's a male, this will expose the penis, a small cylinder. If you don't think you are capable of doing this operation with the necessary tact, it is better to avoid it so as not to harm the little rabbit.
When they reach 3 or 4 months, it will be easier to differentiate the male rabbit from the female, so you can confirm your suspicions. At this age the testicles are visible in most cases, although on rare occasions they do not come down and only the penis is visible. A veterinarian should check the animal at these times.
Image from backyardchickens.com
How to know if your rabbit is female?
The process to tell a female rabbit from a male is the same. You should place the rabbit on its back so that it is comfortable, avoiding stressing it with sudden or insistent movements. At the end of the belly will be the genital area. The anus, as you know, is located next to the tail, and if it is a female, the hole that follows it, corresponding to la vulva, will be very near this.
A significant difference is that compared to the males, this second hole is more oval in shape than circular When applying the same technique of pressing a little on the tail and on the second hole, you will make the female reproductive system more visible, characterized by an accentuation of the oval shape and a separation in the middle.
Image from backyardchickens.com
Now that you know how to tell if a rabbit is female or male, you may be interested in this other article on our site about the Anatomy of the rabbit.
