How to Accurately Sex a Rabbit

Flip the rabbit on its back.

If you’re checking a rabbit by yourself, place your index finger between the rabbit's ears and grasp the base of its head with your thumb on one side and your other three fingers on the other. With your other hand, cradle its rump and scoop the rabbit up so it’s lying on its back. Once you’ve flipped your rabbit, place it between the arm holding the head and your body. Then, let go of it’s rump so that it’s sitting securely in one arm. Another option is to lay the rabbit down on a low table. Gently but firmly hold your rabbit at all times. Make sure the table is low enough that, if the rabbit squirms enough to get away, jumping off the table won't injure it.

Find the genital region.

To identify the sex of your rabbit, examine the rabbit's external genitalia. While it’s on its back, part the fur between its legs. Gently hold it in place while you part the fur with one hand. Both male and female rabbits have a pink, figure eight-shaped bump between their back legs called the “vent.” This is where their genitals will be. If your rabbit starts to squirm too much, soothe it by talking to it and petting it gently. Rabbits can possibly injure themselves trying to escape, so do your best to keep your furry friend calm and relaxed.

Look for testicles on male rabbits.

A male rabbit’s testicles are visible on the outside of its bodies. These are located in between its hind legs on either side of the vent. Rabbit testicles are long and narrow, rather than round like you might see on a dog. Look for two torpedo-shaped bulges, one on either side below the skin. They are usually slightly furry and purple in color. The scrotum can be covered by fur, so you may need to dampen the fur in this area with water to make the testicles clearer to see. Testicles can usually be most clearly seen starting from 10 weeks of age. Before this age, they can be tiny and harder to spot. In a well-developed adult male rabbit, the answer will be obvious because you can spot his testicles right away. If a male rabbit is frightened, it can pull its testicles into the abdomen and make them disappear. Talk to the rabbit softly and gently stroke its side to encourage it to relax before trying to check again.

Check the genital openings to see if it’s an “I” shape or “O” shape.

To locate this opening, gently part the fur between the back legs until you find the vent. The vent contains the opening to the anus as well as the reproductive tract. To see it more clearly, use your fingers to apply gentle pressure on either side, which opens up the area and makes things clearer to see. The genital opening is the one farthest from the tail. Apply gentle pressure with a finger and thumb on either side of the opening. If the rabbit is female, you’ll see a slit-like shape, commonly described as looking like the letter “I”. If the rabbit is male you’ll see a round structure, which can be described as an “O” shape. The opening closest to the tail is the anus. This is identical in both males and females. If you look closely, you can check if it’s the anus by watching for the muscular contractions of the anal ring.

Double check to look for the penis or vulva.

If you want to be extra sure, or if you can’t distinguish between the “I” and the “O”, take another look to check for the penis or vulva. Apply gentle pressure at the base of the opening, pushing gently towards the rabbit's back. If a penis is present, it will sometimes protrude and become more obvious as a tube-like structure. If a vulva is present, the lips tend to peel back in a petal shape.

Sex your rabbit by looking at their genitals rather than their physical appearance.

There are some people that say you can tell the sex of a rabbit by looking at its physical characteristics. Although mature adult male rabbits can have a heavier skull than female rabbits, this is not a reliable way to sex a rabbit. Instead, always check the rabbit's genitalia to be completely sure of the sex of your rabbit. Unfortunately, a rabbit’s external physical characteristics, such as the size and shape, aren’t distinctive enough between the sexes to make this useful when determining the sex of your rabbit.

Take the rabbit to the vet for verification.

Checking your rabbit's sex at home is usually effective. If it’s important that you know the sex of your rabbit for breeding or other purposes, take your rabbit to your vet and get a professional’s verification. If you have multiple rabbits, you can take them at the same time.