| Flying squirrel Fossil range: Early Oligocene - Recent |
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| Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Subfamily: | Sciurinae |
| Tribe: | Pteromyini Brandt, 1855 |
| Genera | |
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Aeretes |
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Flying squirrels, scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini, are a tribe of 44 species of squirrels (family Sciuridae).
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Flying squirrels are not capable of sustained flight, instead they glide between trees, with flights recorded to 90 meters.[1][2] The direction and speed of the animal in midair is varied by changing the positions of its two arms and legs, largely controlled by small cartilaginous wrist bones.[3] This changes the tautness of the patagium, a furry parachute-like membrane that stretches from wrist to ankle.[3] It has a fluffy tail that stabilizes in flight. The tail acts as an adjunct airfoil, working as an air brake before landing on a tree trunk.[4]
Though their life expectancy in the wild is six years, flying squirrels may live fifteen years in captivity. This is due to these creatures being important prey animals. Predation mortality rates in sub-adults are high. Predators include arboreal snakes, raccoons, nocturnal owls, martens, fishers, coyotes, and the domestic cat.[1] In the Pacific Northwest of North America, the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) is a well-known predator. Flying squirrels are nocturnal,[5] flying at night as they are not adept in escaping birds of prey that hunt during daylight.[1] Flying Squirrels eat according to how hungry they are and what type of enviornment they are in. They eat whatever types of food they can find in their environment; if desperate they will eat anything. Southern Flying Squirrels eat seeds, insects, bugs such as slugs snails spiders, tree shrubs, flowers, fungi and tree sap[citation needed].
The life stages of a flying squirrel vary from the individual, region, sub-specie, and more. The mating season for them is between February to March. When the young ones are born, the female squirrels live with them in maternal nest sites. They nurture and protect them until they leave the nest. The males don’t take part in the process of nurturing their children. [6]
At birth, they are mostly hairless besides their whiskers and most of their senses aren’t present. The internal organs are visible through the skin and their sex can be signified. By week 5 of their life, they are almost fully furred and developed. At that point, they can also respond to the things around their environment and start to mature a mind of their own. Through the upcoming weeks of their lives, they practice leaping and gliding. After 2 and a half months, their gliding skills are perfected, they are ready to leave their habitat and are capable of independent survival. [7]
Flying squirrels can easily forage for food in the night, given their highly developed sense of smell, where they hunt for fungi, nuts, fruits and bird eggs.[1][8] Gliding conserves energy.[2]
The largest of the species is the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus). The two species of the genus Glaucomys (Glaucomys sabrinus and Glaucomys volans) are native to North America, and the Siberian flying squirrel is native to parts of northern Europe (Pteromys volans).
Thorington and Hoffman (2005) recognize 15 genera of flying squirrels in two subtribes.
The following are sometimes confused with flying squirrels:[citation needed]
Similarities between them result from convergent evolution.
For a general overview of all flying and gliding mammals see:
"Flying-squirrel". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.(There is currently no text in this page)
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