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• Part 1 of 2: Preparing to examine your rabbit
• Part 2 of 2: Determining the gender

Knowing the gender of your rabbit is important for several reasons. It helps you choose a suitable name, and also avoids unwanted pregnancies if you keep groups of rabbits together. It's also important to know because female rabbits are at risk for uterine cancer, which can be avoided if you sterilize her. You can determine the sex of your rabbit in a few simple steps.

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Part 1 of 2: Preparing to examine your rabbit

1. Determine the rabbit's age. If you have a litter of young rabbits, it is important to be aware that they can mate as early as 12 weeks. This means that it is important to separate rabbits into same-sex groups before or around three months of age.
   • It can be difficult to detect sex in a rabbit that is a few days old. You can try at a younger age, but to definitively determine the sex of your rabbits, wait until they are at least four weeks old.
2. Start with the older rabbits. If you are not used to sexing rabbits, it is better to start with an adult rabbit. If you have the parents of a litter of rabbits, you can take a look at the anatomy of the mother rabbit and the father rabbit. This allows you to see what a fully developed rabbit looks like.
   • If you are still unsure, you can ask your vet for help. Take your rabbits to your vet to help you if needed.
3. Hold the rabbit in position with help. Choose a rabbit to start with. As with most mammals, the rabbit's genitals are between its hind legs. To view this area, the rabbit must lie on its back. It is helpful to have an extra person with you to hold the rabbit so that you have both hands free. Have your helper sit in a chair and put a towel on her lap. This is in case the rabbit starts to urinate.
   • Have her use one hand to grab the rabbit's scruff and her other hand to scoop under his backside. Then she has to lift the rabbit and turn it onto its back. Place the rabbit with its head towards her stomach and its tail on the corner of her knees. This will give you easy access to the genital area.
   • You may want to wear gloves as you will be touching a rabbit's genital area. It is both more hygienic and safer. If you don't, you can inadvertently spread disease to your rabbit or to your other rabbits.
4. Keep your rabbit in the correct position yourself. If you are controlling a rabbit on your own, turn the rabbit onto its back. To do this, place your index finger between the rabbit's ears and grasp the base of the head with your thumb on one side and your other three fingers on the other. Support the bottom with your other hand and scoop up the rabbit.
   • Once you flip your bunny over, place it between your arm holding the head and your body, letting go of the bottom. Your rabbit should sit firmly in one arm.
   • You can also place the rabbit on a low table. Hold it gently but firmly at all times. Make sure the table is low enough to prevent the rabbit from getting hurt if it squeezes free and jumps off the table.

Part 2 of 2: Determining the gender

1. Find the genitals. To determine the sex of your rabbit, you need to examine your rabbit's external genitalia. While he is lying on his back, move the fur to the side between his paws. You or your assistant should gently hold it in place as you move the fur to the side with your hand.
   • If he starts to struggle too much, try to calm him down by talking to him and petting him. You don't want him to get hurt while you're at it.
2. Look for testicles. Male rabbits have testicles, which are visible on the outside of their bodies. These are located in his groin between the hind legs. Rabbit testicles are long and narrow rather than round and ball-shaped as in dogs. Look for two torpedo-shaped bulges, one on each side, under the skin. Usually they have a thin coat and are purple in color.
   • The scrotum may be covered with fur, so you may need to dampen the fur in that area with water to make the testicles more visible.
   • Testicles can usually be found from the age of 10 weeks. For this age they can be very small and hard to find reliable. However, regardless of the rabbit's age, it is easy to check before looking for the penis.
   • In a well-developed adult male rabbit, the answer will be obvious as you can see his testicles directly.
   • If you cannot see testicles directly, be aware that frightened rabbits can pull them up in the abdominal cavity and make them disappear. Talk to the rabbit, pat its side, and try to encourage it to relax. Then check again. If you still can't see them, then you're not sure. Instead, check the genital openings.
3. Check the genital openings. Now you have to check to see if your rabbit has a vulva or a penis. To find it, gently push the fur to the side between the hind legs until you see a small mound. This area is the anus and contains the opening to the anus and to the reproducing device. To view it more clearly, press gently on either side, which opens up the area and makes it clearer to see.
   • The genital opening is the one furthest from the tail. Press gently with a finger and thumb on one side of the opening. If the rabbit is female you will notice a slit-like structure, usually described as the letter I.. If the rabbit is male, you will see a round shape, which can be described as a O.
   • The opening closest to the tail is the anus. This is the same for both males and females. If you take a closer look, you can check if this is the anus by looking for the twitches of the anal ring.
4. Double check your findings. If you want to be very sure, or you can't tell the difference between the I. and the O, then you can check your findings again. Gently press on the base of the opening, gently pressing toward the back of the rabbit.
   • If there is a penis, it will sometimes protrude and take shape more clearly as a tube-like shape.
   • If there is a vulva, the lips tend to open up, like a petal.
5. Don't rely on physical properties alone. There are those who say you can tell a rabbit's gender by looking at its physical characteristics. Although adult goats can have a coarser skull than female rabbits, this is not a reliable way of determining the sex of a rabbit. Unfortunately, the external physical characteristics, such as size and shape, are not distinct enough between the sexes for this to be used in determining the sex of your rabbit.
   • Always check the rabbit's genitals to be absolutely sure of your rabbit's gender.
6. Take your rabbit to the vet to determine it. It is usually effective to determine the sex of your rabbit at home. If it is important for you to know your rabbit's sex, for breeding, or for other reasons, take your rabbit to your vet for verification. The vet will be able to determine the sex of your rabbit with certainty.
   • If you have several rabbits, you can take them with you at the same time.