- Tips for taking crisp and clear pictures of genitalia
- Why do we need pictures of the inside of the slit as well (second sexing component)?
- Penis and penis shaft: The hands-on component
- Useless for gendering: Nipples and mounting
- Our 3 gender markers rule
- Please try yourself first but ask us for confirmation
- Comparison pictures (outside and slit)
- Our second opinion service
- Posting pictures of several piggies at once
Tips for taking crisp and clear pictures of genitalia
- If possible, make it a 2 person job - especially with wiggly youngsters: one to hold and one to concentrate on gettin sharp pictures. Don't take just one picture, take several and choose the best. Make sure that the camera locked onto the right area.
- Good daylight makes for better pictures. Guinea pigs with a dark bum end or skin markings running through their genitl area are more difficult to sex. Good lighting and resu
- Angle the genitalia towards the light source so any light is falling fully on them.
- Please include the full area between the legs, so we can see any swelling from potentially descending testicles.
Why do we need pictures of the inside of the slit as well? (2nd component)
- Guinea pig genitalia come in a much wider range than textbook pictures suggest.
- The inside of the slit differs a lot more between genders than the outside of the genitalia and can make all the difference for 'in-betweenies'.
Penis and penis shaft: The hands-on component
- You can feel the tiny penis shaft just under skin when you gently press down in that area. It is quite distinct.
In baby boys it feels like abasmati rice corn or even like a part of a rice corn stuck under the skin.
- To express the penis you gently push from the belly end of the penis shaft bum towards the anus. For new owners, it is not always easy and it can take some practice to find the magic spot. Especially with baby boars it can be sometimes very tricky. That is where feeling for the shaft comes in.
- Sows are always soft in that area. If you feel hard bone without any sharper edges, you have found the pelvis.
Useless for Gendering: Nipples and Mounting
Nipples
- Both genders have two nipples that look the same in boars and sows.
(See picture above - the 'model' is actually a neutered adult boar)
Mounting
- Mounting is a normal dominance behaviour in both genders.
- Sows experiencing a strong season will mount other sows or even a 'husboar' in the hours before they become fertile nd ready for sexual mating for only a short time right before the end of their season.
- Submissive sows will accept a dominant boar by allowing the boar to mount/mate her without being fertile.
Our 3 gender markers sexing rule
- We do not play guessing games on this forum. Before we give a considered opinion, we want to ideally see three distinct gender markers (which can include your report of the penis shaft/penis feel); especially in babies.
Adult guinea pigs are much more distinctive, especially full boars but our rule still holds.
Please try yourself first but ask us for confirmation
It is our aim to encourage as many owners to learn how to sex guinea pigs so they are never again dependent on other people who should know but who sadly all too often get it wrong; this includes pet shop staff, breeders and also vets not familiar with guinea pigs. It is not the worst life skill to acquire.
Comparison pictures (outside and slit)
You can find comparison pictures for different ages, including neutered boars) here:
Our second opinion service
However, we are always here to confirm the gender of any new arrivals or your own guesses in order to make absolutely sure that there are no mistakes. If we struggle with fuzzy pictures, difficult skin markings or bad angles, we will keep on asking for more pictures until the gender is confirmed beyond any doubt whatsoever.
When it comes to sexing, only 100% surety is good enough!
Posting pictures of several piggies at once
- Please name or number your piggies clearly with each picture.
- Post outside and slit pictures of each piggy together in one post. This helps to avoid any confusion when jumping around between different pictures or posts.
- Why do we need pictures of the inside of the slit as well (second sexing component)?
- Penis and penis shaft: The hands-on component
- Useless for gendering: Nipples and mounting
- Our 3 gender markers rule
- Please try yourself first but ask us for confirmation
- Comparison pictures (outside and slit)
- Our second opinion service
- Posting pictures of several piggies at once
Tips for taking crisp and clear pictures of genitalia
- If possible, make it a 2 person job - especially with wiggly youngsters: one to hold and one to concentrate on gettin sharp pictures. Don't take just one picture, take several and choose the best. Make sure that the camera locked onto the right area.
- Good daylight makes for better pictures. Guinea pigs with a dark bum end or skin markings running through their genitl area are more difficult to sex. Good lighting and resu
- Angle the genitalia towards the light source so any light is falling fully on them.
- Please include the full area between the legs, so we can see any swelling from potentially descending testicles.
Why do we need pictures of the inside of the slit as well? (2nd component)
- Guinea pig genitalia come in a much wider range than textbook pictures suggest.
- The inside of the slit differs a lot more between genders than the outside of the genitalia and can make all the difference for 'in-betweenies'.
Penis and penis shaft: The hands-on component
- You can feel the tiny penis shaft just under skin when you gently press down in that area. It is quite distinct.
In baby boys it feels like abasmati rice corn or even like a part of a rice corn stuck under the skin.
- To express the penis you gently push from the belly end of the penis shaft bum towards the anus. For new owners, it is not always easy and it can take some practice to find the magic spot. Especially with baby boars it can be sometimes very tricky. That is where feeling for the shaft comes in.
- Sows are always soft in that area. If you feel hard bone without any sharper edges, you have found the pelvis.
Useless for Gendering: Nipples and Mounting
Nipples
- Both genders have two nipples that look the same in boars and sows.
(See picture above - the 'model' is actually a neutered adult boar)
Mounting
- Mounting is a normal dominance behaviour in both genders.
- Sows experiencing a strong season will mount other sows or even a 'husboar' in the hours before they become fertile nd ready for sexual mating for only a short time right before the end of their season.
- Submissive sows will accept a dominant boar by allowing the boar to mount/mate her without being fertile.
Our 3 gender markers sexing rule
- We do not play guessing games on this forum. Before we give a considered opinion, we want to ideally see three distinct gender markers (which can include your report of the penis shaft/penis feel); especially in babies.
Adult guinea pigs are much more distinctive, especially full boars but our rule still holds.
Please try yourself first but ask us for confirmation
It is our aim to encourage as many owners to learn how to sex guinea pigs so they are never again dependent on other people who should know but who sadly all too often get it wrong; this includes pet shop staff, breeders and also vets not familiar with guinea pigs. It is not the worst life skill to acquire.
Comparison pictures (outside and slit)
You can find comparison pictures for different ages, including neutered boars) here:
Our second opinion service
However, we are always here to confirm the gender of any new arrivals or your own guesses in order to make absolutely sure that there are no mistakes. If we struggle with fuzzy pictures, difficult skin markings or bad angles, we will keep on asking for more pictures until the gender is confirmed beyond any doubt whatsoever.
When it comes to sexing, only 100% surety is good enough!
Posting pictures of several piggies at once
- Please name or number your piggies clearly with each picture.
- Post outside and slit pictures of each piggy together in one post. This helps to avoid any confusion when jumping around between different pictures or posts.