Care Guide Reference

Southern Flying Squirrels
Glaucomys volans
East Nothern America

Length: Head & Body: 21 – 26cm tail 9 – 18cm

Weight: 50 – 185g

Sexual Maturity; 1-2 years

Mating Season; February – May, July – September

Gestation; 40 Days

Litter Size; 2 – 6

Habits: Nocturnal, sleeping by day. Lives a solitary life during the summer, but lives in large groups during the winter months.

Diet; Nuts, seeds, fruit, insects, spiders and bird eggs.

Lifespan: Roughly 10 years

Related species: Northern Flying Squirrel – Glaucomys sabrinis

Distribution: Throughout Eastern North American, from the Great Lakes to Mexico and south to Honduras. Areas, which are densely populated by coniferous, deciduous or mixed forests of tall tree.

Conservation: The Southern Flying Squirrel is in no danger whilst the North American forests are still standing. It is an adaptable animal that can live successfully close to humans.

This squirrel species of North America in a high forest dweller.

Although a glider can travel from tree to tree it is still in peril from predators. By foraging at nights it eludes the attention of its predators although it can still be caught off guard by night hunting owls.

Squirrels and their population is governed by the number of sleeping holes in the actual forest.

Summer lifestyle displays squirrels finding their own resting quarters, this changes during the winter months when they tend to colonise in-groups for warmth. Extreme cold weather causes the squirrels to become very lethargic and they spend most of their time together asleep, coming out only to forage through the stores of food that they gathered during the autumn months.

Diet

Although enjoying nuts and seeds, it will also take spring buds, soft fruits, some mosses and fungi as well as insects, spiders, and will take bird eggs if the opportunity presents itself.

Its eyesight is acute which is well displayed by its huge eyes, which allow it to see in the dark. Backing up the eyesight is an acute sense of smell and touch – the latter due to its long whiskers.

Most of the food is eaten on site, but the species hoards nuts and seeds as a precaution against the oncoming winter months.

Breeding

Flying squirrel females give birth between two to six young in a nest she has made in the hollow of a tree. At roughly eight weeks of age and the young are weaned they have already taken flights with their mother, whom has undertaken their education in gliding, landing and of course lifting off. The young stay with their mother until the following spring, and figures show that only a third of all young survive predatory attacks.

Gliding

The Southern Flying Squirrel does not fly in the true sense of the word, it glides on the outspread membrane of furry skin that link its wrists and ankles.

The Flying squirrel controls its glide with an incredible precision. Sizing up its destination target before leaping and judges the range and the direction. It leaps with limbs outstretched and membranes outstretched, angling down through the branches of the trees. Just before hitting the target, the tail lifts therefore lifting its body and landing on the spot with all four feet.

The Flying Squirrels’ membrane surrounds the body and is connected to the wrists by gristle.