Contains fact about the flying squirrel and answers the most common
questions.
THE FLYING SQUIRREL
The flying squirrel
The flying squirrel is a sociable, noisy rodent that doesn't
really fly; it glides from trees, using a flap of loose skin that
connects its front and hind legs It can glide up to 150 feet
(46 m), steering with its tail. It lands on a tree trunk,
gripping it with all four feet.
This squirrel is nocturnal (most active at night). It has a life
span of about 5 years in the wild, and about 13 years in
captivity. Flying squirrels live in deciduous forests in North
America.
Predators…
Flying squirrels are prey animals, and they have
many predators. Some common predators are:
Owls, Marten, Fisher Raccoon, Coyote, House Cat,
Bobcat, Lynx, Weasel, Arboreal snakes,
Rattlesnakes
Many flying squirrel predators locate their prey by a
combination of sound and movement (there are
exceptions, of course - snakes locate their prey via
a combination of smell, warmth, and vibration).
Do they hibernate?
The sharing of nests by flying squirrels is
important in maintaining body temperature
in the winter, as flying squirrels do not
hibernate.
Is it endangered?
Yes. It’s endangered because…
The climate warmed and they are used for it to
be cold. Human disturbances have also done
it so most flying squirrels live in habitats
AWAY from humans.
What do they eat?
They diet on some berries, spiders, slug and
snails, bird eggs, insects, seeds, flowers, tree
shrubs and buds, tree sap and bark cambium.
Where is their habitat?
Northern flying squirrels range from the treeline
in Alaska and Canada southward in the west
to northern California and Colorado, in the
middle of the continent to central Michigan
and Wisconsin, and in the east to northern
North Carolina and Tennessee. Small
populations live in the mountains in other
parts of the United States, including the
southern Appalachian Mountains, the Black
Hills, and the Sierra Nevada.
History of the flying
squirrel
When the flying squirrel was first discovered
people were scared and thought mankind
was in jeopardy. For a mammal could fly.
Then I don’t think there were any mammals
that could fly (Bat), and if there were I don’t
think the people saw them that often. Soon
men began to accept the flying squirrels.
Fun facts
 The flying squirrel does not fly, it soars
 The flying squirrel is a herbivore
 When not soaring the flying squirrel looks like
any other squirrel
 Flying squirrels live in nests
 Flying squirrels are usually brown
Image gallery
Links
www.flyingsquirrels.com
www.enchantedlearning.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.enature.com
www.google.com
www.biokids.com
www.answers.com