FLYING SQUIRRELS

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FLIGHT INFO go to flight info section HIBERNATION INFO go to hibernation section

REPRODUCTION INFO go to reproduction sectionWANNA SEE A FLYING SQUIRREL SQUIRREL STORY

THERE ARE 12 GENERA WITH A TOTAL OF 38 SPECIES. MOST LIVE IN SOUTHERN ASIA . ONLY THE GENUS GLAUCOMYS WHICH CONSIST OF TWO SPECIES INHABIT NORTH AMERICA.

NORTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL. GLAUCOMYS SABRINUS

SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL. GLAUCOMYS VOLANS ALSO CALLED ASSAPAN.

THE LOOSE SKIN WEB IS CALLED A PATAGIUM

THE NORTHERN FS PREFERS CONIFER OR EVERGREEN FOREST .

THE SOUTHERN FS PREFERS DECIDUOUS FOREST.

BELIEVE THE SQUIRRELS IN OUR BACK YARD ARE THE SOUTHERN SPECIES.

FLIGHT INFO

The horizontal flight distance ratio is between 1 and 3. This means that the horizontal distance that can be covered in a flight is equal to up to 3 times the altitude of the origin of the flight. IF the flight begins at 100 feet for instance, the ground distance possible would be 300 feet. The longest observed flight by the American zoologist Illar Muul was 1280 ft. Don't know if this was the North American Species or one of the many Asian varieties , one of which is the giant species which can be three foot long. RETURN TO MENU

DIET INFO

The diet ranges from buds ,acorns, seeds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, cones, fruits, berries , insects, tree sap, earth worms, birds, bird eggs.

REPRODUCTION

Mating occurs primarily in May and June although evidence exist that it can occur as early as February, and as late as November. Gestation is from 37-42 days. Litters of between 2 and 4 naked offspring leave nest in about 40 days.

Once a mating has occurred the male has no role in caring for the offspring. The male will usually build a nest for himself only, while the female with nest with the litter. Return to Menu

The life span is from 4 to 5 years with a maximum age of 13 years recorded.

Nesting is usually in hollow tree spaces, woodpecker holes, crotches of tree limbs, or can be constructed nest attached to a tree limb.

HIBERNATION

Flying squirrels do not actually hibernate in the sense that body temperature drops. They can remain active , leaving the nest even when the temperature is 11 below zero. In severe cold they will nest with other squirrels, in a larger nest, and become much less active outside the nest. RETURN TO MENU

SOURCE

Much of this information was obtained from

GRZIMEK'S ENCYCLOPEDIA

VOLUME 3 1988

Believe that on page 98 of Volume 3 they have mislabeled the Northern and Southern squirrel pictures. From the description, believe the Southern flying squirrel is actually the picture on the left .