Author Jamie
of Lowcountry Chinchillas
Is it a Male or Female?
Determining the sex of a chinchilla is very simple and can be determined right from the moment it is born. The hardest part is just getting a good look at that area. The best way to gain control of your chinchilla is to hold it with its front feet resting on your arm, leg, or a table. Get a firm, but gentle, grip on the base of the chinchilla’s tail and lift up. Your chinchilla will still be able to support it’s weight on its front feet and it will not be hurt. Now you have a good view of your chinchilla’s genitals.
Right away you will notice something that looks like a penis. That doesn’t mean you have a male. A female’s urethral cone is often mistaken for a male penis. You need to notice how close this part of the chinchilla’s anatomy is to the anus. The female’s urethral cone sits directly in front of the anus separated only by a small slit of the vaginal opening.
Baby Female
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Adult Female
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The male chinchilla will have a space of skin between the penis and the anus. Sometimes the penis can lay flat against the skin so you may need to place your finger just above the penis area and gently pull the skin upwards towards the chinchilla’s head. If it is a male this will lift the penis and expose the skin underneath. A female’s urethral cone will not lift up.
Baby Male
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Adult Male
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Once you know what to look for you should have no problem telling the sex of any chinchilla-no matter what the age.
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