Can You Tell Guinea Pig Gender from Nipples?
If you are wondering about your pet’s gender but also don’t want to invest your time and money in tests because you are afraid it might hurt your little buddy then you may think about guinea pig nipples.
This article provides useful information to help you determine the guinea pig gender from nipples and other tips.
Can You Tell Guinea Pig Gender from Nipple?
Yes, you can tell the Guinea pig’s gender and differentiate the male from female by carefully analyzing the size of their nipples, tummy and the color of their nipples.
The female guinea pigs (sows) have much larger and more prominent nipples than the male guinea pigs (Boars). Though, both the male and female Guinea pigs have 2 nipples/teats.
How Many Nipples Do Male Guinea Pigs Have?
All the male guinea pigs or Boars typically have 2 nipples/teats like humans. The male guinea pigs have nipples usually in the brown color, while female guinea pigs have prominent pink nipples.
The female nipples are clearly different when viewed and felt, while the male guinea pig does not stand out to the touch and is almost hidden.
Also read: What Is A Boar Guinea Pig?
How Many Nipples Do Female Guinea Pigs Have?
A female guinea pig or Sow has 2 nipples and they are thin and long enough so their piglet can hold. Every piglet usually sucks from its own identical nipple every hour.
Though, the stronger and first-born piglets use the nipples near to their mother’s head as it produces more milk.
When you see and touch the mammary glands of female guinea pigs, they can barely blow on the tummy. This ensures that the wool won’t interfere during the feeding.
Also read: Baby Guinea Pigs: Everything You Need to Know
How to Tell If a Guinea Pig is Male or Female?
Apart from identifying the gender of the guinea pigs from nipples as it’s not a safe approach for the young guinea pigs, you can follow the ways below:
- The most prominent difference between the female and male guinea pigs is males tend to be slightly heavier and larger than females. Though this difference is not major, it’s noticeable.
- Another difference between the sows and boars is their sexual organs. When you look at the base of the guinea pig’s tail, the female genitals are similar to the Y-shape, while the genitals of the male guinea pig make the form of a line along with the bump above it. This bump is the male guinea pig male organ.
- Male counterparts are smellier than their female counterparts. Basically, the smell is due to the grease/scent gland.
Also read: Guinea Pig Size Guide With 4 Factors You Must Know
Is It Better To Get a Male or Female Guinea Pig?
Both the female and male guinea pigs are the best pets as long as they are healthy, friendly and happy.
However, males might live a little longer as compared to females, especially the younger females. Also, males have more proactive personalities making them ideal for pocket pets.
Wrapping- Up
All in all, It is possible to determine the gender of a guinea pig from its nipples but to be sure you should check other characteristics or consult your veterinarian.
Both the genders of guinea pigs make great pets, but if you are struggling to decide which gender you want to get, you can list down your personal preferences.
