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HABITS
Flying squirrels live in tall trees in the forests of North
America. By gliding through the air among the trees, they avoid ground predators but are
still vulnerable to attack by hawks. Flying squirrels feed at night, but they must remain
alert to the presence of owls, which also prey upon them.
At dawn flying squirrels return to hollow trees, abandoned
woodpecker holes, or outbuildings and spend most of the day sleeping, The number of
squirrels in an area depends on the supply of suitable places to rest and sleep during the
day.
In summer individual squirrels have their own resting places, but
in winter they sleep in groups of 20 or more for warmth. During very cold weather the
flying squirrels become lethargic and may emerge only to eat the food they gathered in the
fall.
Above: At night the squirrel
leaves its tree to forage for food.
Above: The flying squirrel can glide
through the air for up to 160 feet before landing. |
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The southern flying squirrel
looks like a small rodent when it moves along the branches of a tree, but when it glides
through the air, it appears to have the grace of a bird.
BREEDING
Approximately 40 days after mating, the female
squirrel gives birth to two to six young in a nest she makes in a hole in a tree. By the
time the young are weaned at two months, they have already made short exploratory flights
with their mother. As they mature, they follow her on nightly foraging trips. Fewer than a
third of all young squirrels survive their first year.
Above: Newborn squirrels are naked,
blind, and helpless for the first few weeks of life. But they already have well-developed
flying membranes
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FOOD & FEEDING
Flying squirrels feed on most types of vegetation. In addition to
nuts and seeds, they eat buds, shoots, soft fruit, lichens, and fungi. They also eat
insects, spiders, and birds' eggs and nestlings.
Flying squirrels have large eyes that allow them to see clearly in
the dark. Their keen eyesight, their acute hearing, and their long, sensitive whiskers,
enable them to locate food.
Most of their food is eaten immediately, but
nuts and seeds are often hoarded to be eaten later during the cold winter months. The
squirrels' instinct to store food becomes stronger as fall approaches.
KEY FACTS
Length: Body, 6 in. Tail, 4 in. Weight:
Up to 6 oz.
Sexual maturity: 1-2 years.
Number of young: 2-6. Breeding season: January to March.
Gestation: 40 days.
Habit: Nocturnal (sleeps by day).
Solitary in summer but lives in groups of up to 24 during winter.
Call: A musical chirping sound or a
squeal when threatened.
Diet: Nuts, seeds, fruit, insects,
spiders, and birds'eggs.
Lifespan: Up to 10 years. |
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| Did You Know?
Flying squirrels usually glide from tree to tree but often make
sharp, acrobatic turns in the air before landing.
The membrane's bulk makes flying squirrels relatively awkward when
on the ground.
Australasian marsupials called gliders use the same technique for
moving through the forest canopy, but they are not related to flying squirrels.
The giant Southeast Asian species of flying squirrel can glide 350
feet. |
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