The most common way to gender pups is using the nipple method once gerbil babies are 7-10 days old. While this method is effective it can sometimes be hard to tell. For many people this is the only way they can tell the genders of pups until they are older; however, I use two other less common methods. One is just looking at the gerbil’s underside (they do look different if you know what to look for) and the scent gland method. Using all three of these methods makes gendering pups easier as well with more definite.

The Nipple Method is used when pups turn 7-10 days. Female gerbils do not grow hair around their nipples, so when the gerbils are young with short fur you can see them easily. Males will grow hair all over. Note: The Pups Pictured are 10 days old from a small litter and are therefore more developed than those that are younger and from larger litters.

                 Female Pup                                   Male Pup

From the day a gerbil is born the Underside Method can be used. This method is very hard to use if you do not know exactly what to look for. It is easiest to use when you have a mixed gender litter because then you can compare them. At a young age any gerbil's genitals look much the same (a small circular piece of skin). On males, however, there genitals are twice as big as those on females. The photos below are of 10 day old pups. I will try and get photos of 1 day old pups when we have our next litter.

            Female Underside                          Male Underside

The Scent Gland Method is the easiest way to gender pups I have found yet. It is used for gendering from 7-12 days depending on how mature the pups are. Male gerbils have much, much larger scent glands than females. Scent glands do not cover over with fur so males will be much bigger than those on females. The photos below show 10 week old pups.

           Female Scent Gland                      Male Scent Gland