By breeding animals at home should be approached seriously, even in the case when the animal is small. The most popular pets include chinchilla. In order to properly contain this animal, you must be able to determine its gender identity. These data will help not only in the selection of a pair, but also in the need to determine the sex of the offspring.
How to determine the sex?
Determining the sex of such an animal as a chinchilla can be done in several ways. Namely:
- to size;
- on behavior;
- on the genitals.
At once it is necessary to make a reservation that it is advisable to compare the size of two animals only when they are of the same age. First of all it concerns the choice at the time of purchase at the pet store. Often, even the seller can not confidently distinguish between age and sex of animals. Therefore, the size should be paid attention only in the case when the age of the compared chinchillas is precisely known. So, from the individuals of the same age, the female will have larger dimensions than the male.
Also worth keeping in mind that sizes depend on the diet of individuals, as well as the state of health. In the case when the animal is painful, gets unbalanced food and not enough vitamins, its size may be smaller than that of peers. An important role is played by age. If there is a male in one cage that is older than the female, then its size may be large.
The behavior of animals of different sexes can also be used to determine sex, as it has certain differences. So, in a pair of chinchillas, females play a dominant role, which can be determined by their greater activity and temperamental behavior.
Here it is worth paying special attention to the fact that in the process of mating the male is not behind the female for the entire period. Often the female chinchilla provoke the male, imitating his movements during mating.
Females of this species are also distinguished by great curiosity and playfulness. Because of this, their behavior is always more interesting to watch. Also, girls can be called more spirited and sociable, which can be explained by their dominant role in the pack, be it in the natural environment, pet shop or home environment. However, this temperament has its drawbacks, which include excessive aggression during estrus, as well as low stress tolerance of chinchilla girls.
Male individuals, on the contrary, are always calm and tender. They are much easier to tame.. Therefore, if you plan to have one chinchilla for a child, then the boy will be the best choice. However, the passivity and lack of keen interest in the owner may disappoint the child.
Gender determination of the animal by genitalia can be called the most difficult method, but at the same time the most accurate. The complexity of the inspection of the genitals lies in the fact that the animal can decide what has fallen into a dangerous situation, to experience stress. In this case, chinchillas shed their fur, which does not always please the owners.
In order for the chinchilla not to experience stress, when checking it is necessary to perform all actions with the utmost care and delicacy. Taking the chinchilla in hand, you need to stroke the animal. So he will be calmer and more comfortable. Then you need to gently grab the animal by the scruff of the neck and turn the belly up, and the muzzle to yourself.
After that, it is necessary to slightly delay the skin in the place where the genitals are located. This will remove them and allow you to consider.When self-determining the chinchilla’s sex, it’s worth knowing that visually it is quite difficult to do because of the similarity of their appearance. The only difference between the female and the male is the distance from the anus to the urethra. In males of this species, it is larger - about 4 mm. In females, the distance is insignificant - up to 1 mm. After inspecting the chinchilla, you can once again stroke. An excellent solution would be a small treat at the end of the procedure.
Cubs
Due to the fact that the genitalia of the young of this animal are even smaller than in adults, sex determination becomes more difficult. However, it is still necessary to perform it.
Chinchillas can multiply at three months of age, however, for the female it can be a lot of stress. Therefore, sex determination and resettlement of boys and girls of this species of animals must be carried out before the onset of three months of age.
In order to find out the sex of the animal, there is an alternative option - to show the animal itself or a photo of its genitals to a specialist. It may be:
- professional breeder;
- veterinarian.
In the case of transportation of chinchillas in a veterinary clinic, you need to take care of the minimum stress for animals. To do this, you can cover the cage with a towel, and in winter, pre-place in it small pieces of fur and wool, in which the animals can hide from the cold.
Neighborhood
Such an animal as a chinchilla is considered a school animal. Keeping only one individual can lead to fear of the animal, its apathy. To avoid these consequences, it is recommended to start a pair of chinchillas immediately. If breeding offspring is undesirable, two females can be purchased. However, it is worth remembering about possible conflicts and the struggle for territory and the leading role in the pack.
Negative moments can be minimized by acquainting animals on a neutral territory, without tags or smells. To do this, thoroughly wash the cage from the secret of chinchilla with detergent. A good option would be to purchase a new, more spacious cage.
The best variant of sharing is the neighborhood of two same-sex individuals, which appeared in one litter. Such animals will easily carry the neighborhood and the smell of another secret. Chinchillas are excellent little pets who, with the right sexual combination, will delight their masters with playfulness and tenderness.
How to determine the sex of newborn chinchillas can be found in the following video.
