Some humans don’t like Squirrels. There are many reasons why. The main ones are that they are rodents who can damage your home and be a potential hazard to your health. But for every human who doesn’t like Squirrels, there is another human out there who enjoys them. Why? Just look at this photo!
The squirrel looks absolutely adorable with its sweet face and tasty little acorn! Many people, including yours truly, find it fun to watch Squirrels playing and gathering food in the backyard or at a park.
But some Squirrels are more than pesky rodents or delightful entertainment. Some Squirrels can do something magnificent, that few, if any, other rodents can: glide!
While they are called “Flying Squirrels”, it may be more appropriate to call them “Gliding Squirrels” because they are not capable of “true powered flight that a bird or a bat can do.” Instead, Flying Squirrels glide through the air between trees. They have a special membrane between their front and back legs that enables them to do this. When a Flying Squirrel wants to travel from one tree to another without touching the ground, as other Squirrels have to do, it launches itself from a high branch and spreads its limbs so that the gliding membrane is exposed. It uses slight movements of the legs to steer itself in the direction it wants to travel. The tail serves as a brake to help it stop upon arrival at its destination.
Thanks to their amazing gliding abilities, Flying Squirrels are good escape artists. Once a Flying Squirrel lands on a tree trunk after a flight, it promptly scurries to the other side of the trunk to try and avoid any predators that may have followed it. This doesn’t always work though, as owls, tree snakes, hawks, and climbing mammals regularly manage to catch and eat these tiny creatures.
Flying Squirrels can travel more than 150 feet in a single glide. That may not sound impressive in a world of big birds and airplanes that fly hundreds of miles at a time. However, it is remarkable when you consider the fact that Flying Squirrels aren’t that big. Northern Flying Squirrels are ten to twelve inches long, while Southern Flying Squirrels are eight to ten inches long. On average, members of both species weigh anywhere from two to six ounces.
There are two native species of Flying Squirrels here in North America: Northern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) and Southern Flying Squirrels (Glaucomys volans). Northern Flying Squirrels are covered in rich brown fur that is noted for being very soft (Note: Please don’t touch Flying Squirrels. Their fur may be soft, but they are disease carrying rodents that could potentially make you sick (more on that later in this post)). Their underbellies are white at the tips only with the bases lead colored near the skin. Southern flying squirrels have thick and glossy grayish to olive brown fur with white underbellies. Members of both species have bushy tails, large black eyes, and twenty-two teeth, which makes grinding up nuts, seeds, and acorns easy.
Northern Flying Squirrels can be found mainly in the Northern and Western parts of the United States. Specifically, you’ll find them along the West Coast, in the Northeast, and in parts of Idaho and Montana. Therefore, if you see a Flying Squirrel around here, it will most likely be a Northern Flying Squirrel. The Southern Flying Squirrel is found throughout the eastern United States, starting at about Minnesota and Texas and heading east from there. Regardless of which parts of the country they reside in, Flying Squirrels live in coniferous and deciduous woodlands and forests. They make their homes in holes drilled by woodpeckers, snags, nest boxes, and nests that birds and other squirrels have abandoned. Sometimes, multiple squirrels will share a nest to keep themselves warm in the cold winter months.
The Northern Flying Squirrel mates once a year, typically between May and June. The Southern Flying Squirrel mates twice, typically between April and May, and again between August and September. The gestation period for both species is approximately forty days in length, and they have roughly two to six young per litter. When the young are born, they rely on their mothers to care for them for their first two months of life. Flying Squirrels can live up to a decade in captivity or about five years in the wild.
Flying Squirrels are mostly omnivores. They eat an array of foods, including seeds, fungi, insects, nuts, and fruit. Southern Flying Squirrels are considered one of the more carnivorous squirrels because they supplement their diet with birds, carrion, and eggs.
Flying Squirrels are nocturnal animals, so your chances of seeing one in person aren’t that good unless you’re awake and outside in the middle of the night. However, you may hear them if they decide to take up residence in your home’s attic. That’s not something you want to have happen though, because they can cause odor and damage when they urinate. They’ll also keep you awake as they scurry about in the middle of the night. From a medical perspective, they can spread human diseases, although direct transmission is rare. To keep Flying Squirrels out of your home, seal all possible points of entry around the house, paying particularly attention to small openings and cracks around windows and doors. Additionally, install screens to block off vents and openings to chimneys, and cut tree limbs back six to eight feet from your home’s roofline. That way, Flying Squirrels don’t become pests and remain fun, fascinating creatures that keep our forests humming at night.
References
- https://www.nwf.org/educational-resources/wildlife-guide/mammals/flying-squirrels
- https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/nuisance-wildlife/flying-squirrels/
© Ian D. Caldwell, March 2021
