Photo Copyright © 2006 by Jim Jung and licensors. All rights reserved.

Flying Squirrels

The small, shy Flying Squirrels are extremely common, but rarely seen, nocturnal squirrels that inhabit our local woodlands. Holing up in abandoned woodpecker holes and leafy nests by day they come out just as dusk ends and feed on seeds, nuts, buds and sometimes insects. Should you ever find a cache of seeds or nuts wedged into the crotch of a tree you can be pretty sure you've discovered signs of Flying Squirrel activity. While they can't truly fly they do possess a flap of skin between front and hind legs and are able to glide from tree to tree for considerable distances. Unlike their diurnal cousins, Flying Squirrels are gregarious and social and live together in family groups during winter and when not engaged in child rearing. These small, specialized members of the squirrel clan often attempt to colonize the attics of human homes and purportedly make good pets. In captivity Flying Squirrels have lived up to thirteen years.

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